Reminiscence
by Mayremmy
Summary: SISFIC. They say life isn't easy and it never will be. It's an adventure filled with tears, smiles and memories. But growing up without a mother and an absent father only made Emmy's journey more difficult. Luckily she has two big brothers who are more than willing to guide her through every obstacle. Mostly one-shots about the Winchester siblings' childhood.
1. Bereavement

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. I only own my character Mary-Elisabeth "Emmy" Winchester.**

_1995 – Manhattan, Kansas._

John could practically feel her staring at him even when his eyes were closed. Call it his daddy senses or whatever, but whenever she woke up, he instantly felt it. There were of course obvious signs indicating her being up; her breathing pattern changed, the constant cooing and squealing, that annoying melody of that stupid chatter telephone – John didn't care what anybody else said, he was sure that she _knew_ exactly which buttons to press to produce that god-awful melody – and lastly, there was the incessant poking in his eyes that alerted him his daughter was up.

"Ouch," John hissed when her little finger poked too hard. "Baby girl, that hurt." He cracked one eye open to see the most adorable and chubbiest 10-month-old. Once she noticed her father finally being up, her lips broke into a cute grin, showing of her dimples. "Good morning, Emmy." John reached out a hand to wipe of some drool from her chin, he kept his hand there, briefly tickling her neck. He chuckled when she started giggling, scrunching up her little button nose. "Oh, you like that, don't you. Yes, you do." He continued tickling her, loving the sound of her laughing her beautiful head off.

Lately, it's been the only thing keeping him alive. Knowing that he still got her and his sons to take care of, it was the fuel that kept him going. It's been almost six months, half a year, since he lost the love of his life, the mother ofnhis three kids and it still didn't get better. The pain was still there, the memories were still too fresh and he still missed her every second of the day.

He looked back at his daughter who was currently using his fingers to chew on. She already started teething a couple of months ago, which resulted in two small teeth on the bottom. He wished his wife was there to see their baby girl grow up. John was sure that Mary would've celebrated the milestone by taking pictures and noting the date in her baby book. The thought made him smile a little.

Emmy's attention suddenly fell on her daddy's watch on his wrist. The shiny, metal exterior looked like every little baby's most wanted prize. She started poking her little chubby fingers on it, trying to find out if the thing was supposed to make any sounds. She then proceeded to pull at it but the watch didn't budge causing her to make frustrated noises. She looked up at her daddy with those big blue eyes that instantly made his heart go soft.

"Can you give daddy a kiss first?" John asked as he puckered his lips. Emmy crawled closer to him and gave him a slobbery smooch. John chuckled and handed her his watch. Her eyes instantly lit up as she let out a high pitched noise of excitement. Of course the first thing she did was put the watch in her mouth.

John stroked the soft skin of her little feet, letting his thumb rub her tiny toes. She looked so much like his beloved wife, sometimes it hurt to even look at her. His daughter would remind him of the woman he couldn't save, the woman he had let down, the woman he had to live without. Everything about Emmy just screamed Mary. Those long eye lashes, the silky blonde hair, the strawberry smell, the soft skin, the way her eyes twinkled every time she laughed, those pouty lips that got him under her spell, those big blue eyes – _those eyes._ John fell in love with Mary's eyes, he swore he'd never seen such beautiful eyes like hers before, and he was sure that no one on earth shared these gorgeous eyes with her … that's until their daughter was born and John had fallen in love all over again.

John suddenly noticed how quiet the apartment was. Sam and Dean were probably still asleep. It was only six in the morning and it was Sunday, so John didn't bother to wake them up. He was also still trying to give them some space after their mother passed away. He knew it was hard to talk about their mother, especially since he wasn't used to have heart-to-hearts with his sons, that was Mary's department. But still, he tried even if it didn't work as well as he hoped it would.

But talking about her death wasn't what made everything hard, it was _the reason_ why she died. He and his wife had sworn never to tell their kids about the supernatural. It was a promise they were both hell bent on keeping. But what do you tell your sons who saw their own mother pinned to the ceiling, engulfed in fire. It quickly became clear that they didn't buy his '_electric short in the walls and ceiling'_ – explanation. They weren't little kids anymore and they demanded the truth. John had no other choice, no matter how hard he wished he could keep them in the dark. Telling his sons about the yellow eyed demon was the hardest thing he had done in his entire life.

What surprised him the most was their reactions. After the initial shock, Sam and Dean both wanted to know more about the monsters lurking in the dark. At first, John was hesitant and unsure. He didn't know what the outcome would be if he shared the information with his sons. But in the end, he thought it was better to be safe than sorry. If they knew about the supernatural, they might as well now about the dangers and how they could protect themselves and others. That's where the difference lay between Sam and Dean. The oldest was adamant on learning the ropes and skills to hunt those evil creatures. While Sam was content just reading about it without really practicing it.

John didn't push his youngest son, but he did want him to know the basics. He wanted Sam to know how to defend himself, how to protect the ones he loves, how to _kill_ a monster whenever his or anyone else's life was in danger. And the only way to teach him that is if he took him out to the _field_, the supernatural world. John knew his youngest son was defying him when it came to hunting, and again, he didn't push. He was only thirteen after all. But it pained him as a father that he felt obligated to teach him one day, whether he wanted or not.

Dean was another story though. John could practically see himself in his oldest son. They both didn't like sharing their feelings, let alone express them. But the anger, the need to avenge Mary's death, it was a mutual feeling. John discovered that killing every evil son of a bitch walking on earth helped easing the pain, the frustration. He never knew how much he and his son were alike until he saw Dean's face when he killed his first monster. The expression of pure alleviation and ecstasy. John knew that it probably wasn't healthy but if it made his son feel better and if it made him sleep at night, then he wasn't about to get picky.

He'd like to think it was a therapeutic way of dealing with Mary's death. Sam didn't talk for weeks when his mother died. Not only did he loose his mother but he also had to live with the discovery that monsters under his bed might exist. Dean was the opposite, he wasn't quiet or reserved, he just chose to completely avoid the subject. Where Sam dealt with the loss by indulging himself in books and schoolwork, Dean chose to vent his anger on killing monsters.

John sighed as he ran a hand down his face, scratching at his scruffy beard. He looked down at his daughter as she started nibbling on her toes, making cute gurgling noises. She was so innocent, so oblivious of what was happening around her. Sometimes he'd look at her and feel jealous of how carefree and happy she was. He would kill to feel like her, to not have to deal with the constant heartache and reminder of what he had lost. At least his daughter didn't have to live with the pain or the daily struggle. She didn't realize it yet, but she was the one keeping them together now. She was their hope, the one that made him wake up every day. He would be lost without his baby girl, she was the little reminder of the person they missed every day. But she was also the little reminder of the hope and courage they needed to get through every day.

Whatever happened, couldn't be turned back. John had to live with the thought that his sons knew about the supernatural and that he got them both involved. He felt guilty for dragging his own children into it but he vowed that once he got the yellow eyed demon, he'd put a stop to the hunting. He remembered clearly how Mary told him she hated hunting and she would die before letting her kids be raised into it like she was. If only she knew how her words were only just a prediction of her family's future. John wouldn't realize that dedicating his life to killing monsters, particularly Azazel, would sent his entire family into a downward spiral until it was already too late.

If he had known then what he knows now …

**A/N: HI GUYS! Welcome to my new story, ****_Reminiscence, _****it will mostly contain one-shots about Emmy and her brothers. I won't be following a particular order, I'll probably just jump from one year to another, depends on the stories and ideas I have. I can't tell you when I'll update this story, like I said it depends from the inspiration and time I have. ****_Be(lie)ve_**** still comes first so don't expect me to post regularly for this story. I'm open for ideas and suggestions, so please review :) I know that the first chapter was kind of narrative and didn't contain lots of action, but I thought I'd start from the beginning, which is explain John's motives. I'd like to remind you guys that my story is NOT like the show and that some things might seem different (like John's personality).  
I also would love to thank VeroGigg for being the one who came up with the idea to write some anecdotes and old memories of our favorite Winchesters :) So thank her!**

**As always, lots of kisses and hugs. Please don't forget to review/follow/favorite, it would mean the world to me :) !**


	2. Mom's not here

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. I only own my character Mary-Elisabeth "Emmy" Winchester.**

_Emmy: ten months  
Sam: 13 y/o  
Dean: 17 y/o_

Doing your homework in the bathroom while babysitting your little sister isn't practical, but Sam was getting used to it. It was either that or leave Emmy alone in bath – a mistake he won't be making twice. Last time he left her alone in the tub, she thought it would be fun to drink her bottle of shampoo. He swore her breath smelt like strawberries for days.

Sam kept a watchful eye on his baby sister as he scribbled down some notes on his math book, trying to solve the surface area of a pool. Lately, him and his brother couldn't risk leaving her alone for two seconds. She was at that phase where she would put anything in her mouth. It was her way of exploring everything around her, it didn't help that she was teething _and_ crawling either.

"Emmy, don't put that in your mouth," Sam warned softly when he caught her eying the bubbles in her tiny fists. Emmy looked up at him through her long, wet eyelashes at hearing his voice and dropped her chubby hands back into the water. It was as if she knew exactly what he was saying by the look he was giving her.

Sam had tried to stop putting bubbles into the water but that only resulted in her crying her little heart out. Dean had said it was only phase and that she would grow out of it … eventually. The truth was that neither brothers had the heart to stop the habit because it reminded them of the mother they lost. Just the smell of the strawberry bubbles was enough to bring them back to their own childhood when their mother still ran baths for them.

"Emmy, no." Sam gave his sister a look when she once again took a handful of bubbles in her hand. He watched her closely as she slowly lifted her hand up to her mouth. Sam knew she was testing him, trying to see how far she could go. "Emmy, don't." But his baby sister ignored him and put her fingers in her mouth. She instantly pulled a face at the soapy taste and weird texture. "Told you so," Sam couldn't help but chuckle as she scrunched up her adorable face.

He put his book and pencil on the toilet lid and kneeled next to the tub. He grabbed a nearby towel and started wiping away the soap from her mouth. "There you go, you little munchkin." He made her giggle as he rubbed his nose against her tiny button nose. She cupped his face with her little hands and let out a happy high pitched nose. "Aw, now you're making me all wet," Sam laughed. He saw her big blue eyes move to his hair and he instantly grabbed her hands to pull her away from him. "Oh no, not my hair," he shook his head. His baby sister was obsessed with his long bangs, she would put it in her mouth (of course), play with it or her favorite, pull at the strands.

Sam noticed how her cute little face fell in disappointment and he could already see the tears forming in her eyes. He had to think quick and stop her from crying. He looked around and noticed some toys in the water. Grabbing the closest thing, which was a little duck, he gave it to her.

"Look, Emmy. It's a duck!" His sister's eyes instantly moved to the yellow object. Sam pinched the duck's stomach, creating sounds. "Oh look at that. The duck talks." Sam let out a breath in relief once he managed to distract Emmy who gave him a cute grin. He took her chubby fist and wrapped it around the duck. He helped her pressing her fingers against the center to produce the sounds. "Just push right there." Emmy pushed her brother's hands away and lifted the duck close to her face, inspecting it with curious eyes. She then opened her mouth and started biting on the rubber tail.

Sam rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Or you can just put it in your mouth, too."

"_Honey, I'm home!_" Dean shouted as he slammed the door.

"In here!" Sam yelled.

The door to the bathroom opened and Dean appeared at the doorframe. Once Emmy noticed her brother's presence she instantly started pounding her hands and feet against the water in excitement. Sam quickly leaned back to avoid his t-shirt getting wet.

Dean chuckled. "Somebody's happy to see me," he said as he walked closer to her. "Hi, cutie pie."

Emmy started lifting up her chubby arms, cajoling her big brother to pick her up. Dean grabbed her hands and pulled her up so that she was standing on both feet. "You done with her?" he asked his brother.

"Yeah, she's all washed up," Sam answered his brother as he gave him a towel. "I just let her play a little longer cause she didn't want to get out. But I guess she changed her mind."

"That's because she likes me more." Dean grinned as he wrapped the towel around his baby sister and lifted her up in his arms. "Tell him I'm your favorite, Emmy."

Emmy let out a high pitched squeal as she clapped her hands together.

"That's right, you love me more." Dean peppered her chubby cheeks with kisses.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Since when do you talk baby-language? What if she said she loved me more?"

Dean took one of Emmy's hands and put it on top of Sam's head. Her eyes lit up in excitement and she instantly started pulling on his hair.

"Ouch," Sam scowled, pulling her hands away.

"That answers your question?" Dean smirked.

"Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean retorted, ruffling his brother's hair as he walked out of the bathroom.

Sam made sure to unplug the tub before he grabbed his homework. He found Dean on one of the motel beds where he was drying off their baby sister. She was contently chewing on one of her little toes, making soft baby noises that made no sense.

"So how did the GED test go?" Sam asked his brother as he plopped on the other bed.

"Good. I think," Dean answered distractedly as he reached for a diaper while trying to keep Emmy still with a hand on her stomach.

"Let's hope so," Sam said.

Dean looked up briefly at his brother who was too busy watching the television. He didn't fail to notice how Sam sounded unenthusiastic and disinterested. It wasn't a secret that Sam was against Dean taking the GED test. He wanted his brother to at least finish his high school and get a proper diploma.

Dean sighed, his attention on dressing his squirming baby sister. "We've talked about this, Sammy. You know school's never been my thing. The only thing it does is test my patience and ability to hold my pee."

Sam snorted, unamused. "You think you're the only one who hates school? Newsflash, every living soul hates going to school, Dean."

"You like going to school," Dean pointed out with a smirk.

"Correction, I like learning new stuff," Sam countered smartly as he turned his attention back to the screen. "Wish Dad would just homeschool us, I could probably teach myself better than all these Misters and Misses Know-It-All."

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, I don't doubt that." He lifted up his baby sister and sat down on the bed with his back against the headboard. He put Emmy between his spread legs, letting her grab onto his shoulders so she could stand. "Well aren't you a big girl, huh. Yes you are," he smiled as she grinned, showing off her bottom teeth.

"I still don't understand why you just don't finish high school," Sam wondered causing Dean to roll his eyes which in turn made Emmy giggle. "I mean it's only one year, why stop now?"

"Sam, please," Dean huffed, "We've been through this already. It's not like I ever planned to go to college and become a big shot or something. That's your future not mine."

Sam slightly shook his head in disbelief. "You're not stupid Dean. You may not always have brought home the best report cards but that doesn't mean you should give up. You need the education, Dean. It doesn't even matter if you pass or not, you just need to know these stuff."

Emmy decided it would be fun to climb on her brother and used his ears to get higher. Dean winced a little and tried to pry her hands off of him. "Why would I even want to know how to measure a pool's area surface, Sam?"

"It's basic, Dean. You might not need it now, or ever but when you do, you'll be glad you've gone through it at school," Sam tried to explain.

When Dean finally managed to release Emmy's hands from his face, he gave her sippy cup with water. "The only thing I need to know is how to use every weapon to kill those evil sons of bitches."

Sam frowned in disbelief. "You plan on hunting for the rest of your life? You do know that the pay is kinda crappy."

Dean used his sleeve to wipe off some water from Emmy's chin. "It's the only thing I'm actually good at, Sam. And there will always be some monster needing to be killed and people needing to be saved."

"I can't believe you sometimes," Sam sounded angry, almost disgusted even. "You're turning into Dad, you know that?"

Dean's jaw clenched and he had to keep his own anger in check so he wouldn't scare his baby sister who was still oblivious of what was going on. "Don't bring him into this, Sam. He has nothing to do with it."

"Like hell he doesn't have anything to do with this!" Sam sat up straighter on his bed. "He's the cause of you dropping out of school in the first place. What kinda father doesn't encourage his own son to stay at school. He'd rather you helping him out with killing a stupid witch!"

"He had no choice, Sam!" Dean argued back. "What else did you want him to do? Move to another state, buy a new apartment so we could play house and pretend everything's sunshine and rainbows? Well, here's a newsflash for you, Sammy, things will never be normal!"

"We could at least try, Dean! If not for us, do it for Emmy."

Emmy looked up from playing with Dean's amulet when she heard her name. She looked between her brothers with big, questioning eyes. Dean noticed this and tried to distract her with her sippy cup.

"You don't think Dad's already trying enough?" Dean's jaw clenched.

"You mean like now?" Sam shot back. "He's off to god knows where, doing god knows what, killing god knows who. While he should've been here, give Emmy her bath, offering me help with my homework and ask you how the test went."

"It's not his fault, Sam," Dean muttered through gritted teeth. "It's not like he wants to be away from us. He just has no other choice," Dean repeated.

Sam instantly recognized the loyalty Dean had for their Dad. It was something he never really understood, how Dean could keep defending their father after all the mistakes he had made and keeps making. Sometimes he thinks that the reason Dean was so forgiving and considerate with their Dad is because he wanted to, _needed _to. Maybe it was his brother's way of coping with a deceased parent. Dean tried hard holding onto the one parent he had left, trying to be the best son in John's eyes so that their father would be so proud he could make up for the other parent who wasn't with them anymore.

"It's not how Mom would've wanted it to-"

"Well, Mom's not here," Dean snapped, maybe a little too harsh.

Emmy went quiet as she stared at her brothers. She might still be too young to understand what was really going on but she was smart enough to sense something was wrong. Her little bottom lip started trembling and her blue orbs started watering. Dean looked down at her and he felt like his heart would break into million pieces. Emmy's eyes reminded him so much of his mother, it hurt to look at her sometimes – especially when she cries. It was as if Mary was crying and nothing was worse than seeing your own mother cry.

"Did she get her bottle yet?" Dean asked as he stood up from his bed with Emmy in his arms. He briefly squeezed her to him, needing the contact to calm himself down.

Sam realized that the change of subject was an end to their discussion. He sighed, but didn't voice his thoughts. "No, not yet," he replied instead.

"Can you hold her for a minute?" Dean kissed his baby sister before he placed her on Sam's bed.

Emmy's eyes lit up as she crawled on top of her brother's chest, anything to reach that mop of hair. "Aw, seriously?" Sam winced when she tugged at his hair.

"You should consider cutting your hair, Sammy. A couple of inches longer and people are gonna start calling you Samantha," Dean teased from the kitchenette where he was preparing Emmy's bottle.

"Ha ha, so funny," Sam deadpanned with a roll of his eyes. "Ouch, Emmy!"

Emmy giggled when her brother glared at her playfully. Sam lay her down on her back and started ticking her tummy, causing his sister to shriek with laughter. He buried his head into her chubby little neck and blew raspberries. Emmy screamed in amusement as she threw her little legs up.

"Don't suffocate her Sam! I'm kinda attached to her," Dean called out when he noticed his baby sister laughing her head off to the point no sound was coming out of her mouth.

Sam pulled away, letting her catch a breath. He wiggled his fingers above her head and chuckled when Emmy already started laughing despite the fact he didn't touch her yet. But that didn't last long because he lowered his hands and tickled her sides, eliciting a happy squeal from his baby sister.

Dean put the bottle in the microwave and waited for the minute the be over. He watched as his siblings squirmed in bed, their laughter echoing against the four walls of the motel room. Looking at his brother and sister brought him back to the old times. Sometimes he would only focus on Sam making his homework or Emmy sleeping next to him and he'd be brought back to the way things used to be. It killed him inside that he would never get back what he had lost, but thinking of his siblings made him realize that he hadn't lost everything. And as he focused on their laughter, Dean thought that maybe – just maybe – things could get better.

**A/N: Awwww, I had so much fun writing this! This chapter didn't really turn out the way I wanted it but I'm kinda happy with the result. In the next chapter Emmy will probably be older. Someone asked me to do the one where she got lost in Bobby's graveyard, so maybe I'll do this one :)**

**Don't forget to show me your love XXX!**


	3. Is the moon really made of cheese?

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. I only own my character Mary-Elisabeth "Emmy" Winchester.**

_Emmy: 6 y/o  
Sam: 17 y/o  
Dean: 21 y/o_

"The rugaru is the result of a genetic mutation that, when expressed, causes the affected human to experience a murderous, cannibalistic hunger," Bobby read out loud. His elbows rested on a pile of books and files, taking in the entire space of his desk. "Outwardly the rugaru can appear human for years, never knowing its true nature, but eventually it becomes consumed with a terrible hunger. During this time, it feeds on any meat it can get its hands on – "

"_Bobby, just skip the MO," _John cut him off through the phone, causing Bobby to roll his eyes. "_Just tell me how to kill the sucker."_

Bobby flicked through the pages, searching for the needed information. "It says here that one of their vulnerabilities is fire."

"_So basically torch the bastard?"_

"Yeah – "

"_Okay, got it,"_ John abruptly hung up the phone.

Bobby stared at the horn for several seconds before he put it down. "You're welcome by the way," he grumbled to himself. He reached under his desk, in the drawer, and took out a bottle of whiskey.

"Was that Dad?" Sam appeared at the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah," Bobby nodded as he filled his tumbler glass. "Wanted to know how to kill a rugaru."

"Did he say when he'll be back?"

Bobby didn't fail to notice how the teenager didn't show any concern towards his father and didn't ask about his wellbeing. "No," Bobby shook his head as he put the bottle back in his drawer, making sure to lock it. With kids running around in his house, especially a six year old curious girl, he could never be too safe. "You need him?"

"No," Sam answered quickly, maybe a little too quick.

Bobby eyed Sam carefully. It didn't take rocket science to know that things weren't all rainbows and sunshine between the boy and his old man. They've always bumped heads, even before Mary died, but since Sam turned sixteen, the situation got a little out of hand. They're both stubborn and hard headed. John is like a flame, a flame that couldn't be tamed until he got his revenge. Sam is more like the oil, every single thing he does or says to rebel against his father is like adding fuel to the fire. And Bobby feared that one day, John would literally explode.

Sam cleared his throat, snapping Bobby out of his thoughts. "So hey, uh, that guy from yesterday-"

"Colin?"

Sam snapped his fingers. "Yeah, that one. Well he just dropped of his car to fix. Dean's already giving it a check-up. You think you still got some parts of an '85 Chevy pickup?"

"What kinda parts?" Bobby asked as he took another sip.

"Just some hood ornament and a left rearview mirror."

"Should be somewhere in the junkyard. Don't go past the sign though, the cars over there are for sale, so don't touch those," Bobby said.

"Got it," Sam nodded. He patted the doorframe twice as he turned and started to leave.

"Oh, and tell that sister o' yours to stop feedin' that dog. I bought that damn peanut butter for _her_ not for that four legged barking machine," he grumbled.

Sam only chuckled with a shake of his head and started walking to the back of the house where the garage was.

**SPN**

Dean rolled himself under the blue car to check the oil. It was a sunny, hot afternoon and he could feel sweat tricking down the back of his neck. He didn't realize how focused and concentrated he was until someone crawled under the car, joining him.

"Booh!"

Dean startled, hitting his head against the underside of the car. "Son of a bitch," he cursed with a grimace. Wincing as he touched his forehead. He turned his head to glare at the six year old who looked back at him innocently.

"Sorry, Dean. I didn't mean to scare you," Emmy apologized, biting her bottom lip.

Dean knew his sister well enough that she wasn't really sorry. In fact she was two seconds away from bursting into a fit of giggles. He could tell by the way her big blue eyes twinkled in mischief and the trapped bottom lip to keep her from laughing.

And just as he predicted, she suddenly started giggling. The bubbly sounds erupting from her small body instantly warmed him up and Dean had to try hard not to laugh too. It was just contagious.

_What kinda of a man am I? I can't even stay mad at her if my life depended on it,_ he thought to himself.

Dean shook his head with a sigh, a small smile twitching as his lips, as he rolled away from the car. "Emmy, get outta there before you get your clothes dirty," he told her as he stood up. He looked up from wiping his hands with a rag when his baby sister approached him. He took in her shorts and stained tank top and realized that it didn't matter anymore. She couldn't keep her clothes clean for more than half a day. But at least it was just some smudges of peanut butter and something that looked like Sharpies. Dean had learned his lesson and knew not to bother changing her clothes anymore, not if she continued using her shirts for tissues.

"Where's your best friend?" Dean asked, referring to the dog that was practically her shadow. Dean wasn't a big fan of dogs, especially not ones that followed his baby sister everywhere and made her do things like, jumping into a river to fetch his stick, climbing onto a tree to get him an apple, wake her up at the middle of the night to make her sleep next to him outside or make her steal food from the cupboards for his own selfish needs. The dog was making his sister a slave, he had her wrapped all around his paw.

"He's in his kennel, eating peanut butter," she said as she pushed the bangs away from her eyes. The action was futile, as the blonde strands of hair only kept falling in her face.

Dean picked her up and put her on the hood of the car. "Emmy, what did Bobby say about feeding the dog?" He gave her a pointed look as he gathered her hair in a messy bun, making sure to clear her freckled face.

"But it's Rummy," she pouted as if that should be enough reason to give the dog a pass.

Dean leaned both his hands on either side of her and lowered his head. "These are the rules, cutie pie." He kissed her button nose. "If you keep giving him all our food, then how are we supposed to fill this little tummy?" He briefly tickled her stomach causing her to laugh.

"I can eat candy," she shrugged.

"Candy is food too, sweetheart," Dean chuckled.

"Sammy says it's not," she pointed out.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Off course he would say that."

"Say what?" Sam asked as he suddenly appeared. His eyes fell on his sister and he sighed. "Emmy, I literally just changed you into that top an hour ago. How did you manage to get peanut butter on it again?"

Emmy looked down at the stains. "I didn't do it. Rummy did. It's his fault."

As if on cue the black Rottweiler came strolling into the garage. His muzzle had clear evidence of some leftover peanut butter. He ignored the two boys and went straight to the youngest Winchester sitting on the hood. Emmy giggled as he started rubbing his head against her legs.

Dean tried to push the dog away with his hand. "Hey, get away from my baby sister. You manipulative bitch."

"He's not a bitch, you silly. He's a dog cause he's a boy," Emmy explained.

"Exactly, and you should stay away from boys cause they're only trouble," Dean said as he picked her up in his arms, away from Rumsfeld who whined at the loss of his best friend. "You asked Bobby about the parts?" he asked Sam.

"Yeah, they're in the salvage yard. You wanna come with me, honey?" Sam asked Emmy.

"YES!" she shouted causing Dean to cringe at the high pitched noise. "I wanna sit on your shoulders so I can be as tall as Willie the Giant."

"Okay," Sam chuckled. "Put this on first," he said as he helped her in her sweater.

"Now, let's go over the ground rules first," Dean told her. "No wandering off, no getting in the cars, no climbing on the cars and no Rumsfeld."

"But Rummy will be sad. He'll be all alone." She stuck out her bottom lip as she looked down at the dog circling around Dean's legs, trying to get her attention.

"He won't be alone, cause Dean will keep him company," Sam reassured her. "Right Dean?"

Dean looked at Sam like he was crazy. Sam gave him a knowing look, to which Dean slowly nodded in realization. "Oh, right. Yes, yes, I'll stay with Rumsfeld." Dean reached down to pat the dog's head. Anyone could see that there was no genuine meaning behind the touch except for Emmy.

"Will you play fetch with him? Cause I promised I'd play with him."

Dean smiled at his sister, patting her back. "Off course I will."

"And will you gave him something to drink?"

"Sure," Dean nodded.

"And will you cuddle him too? He likes to be cuddled when he goes to sleep."

"Will do," Dean lied.

"And will you tell him a story about-"

"Your ride is leaving, sweetheart," Dean kissed her, effectively shutting her up before he hoisted her on Sam's shoulders.

"I can almost touch the clouds!" she beamed, reaching her hands up.

**SPN**

As Sam wandered about the salvage yard, in search for the '85 pickup, he tried to split his attention in two. One part looking for the car, the other part listening – _trying_ to listen – to his baby sister firing one question after the other. There was a time where Sam took the time to answer each one of them. He always believed that her curiousness and her will to know more was a good trait they got from their mother. It made them explorative and smarter than their age. Dean would call them walking encyclopedia's but Sam knew that all that information she was taking in was bound to be useful one day. Besides, there's no such thing as learning too much.

But there is a thing as _asking_ too much.

They had been walking for fifteen minutes now and Sam had long stopped bothering answering Emmy's question. It was tiring and honestly, he didn't feel like thinking so much. Sam also discovered that maybe she didn't even want an answer to her questions, she just basically said the first thing coming to her mind. Which sometimes resulted into funny, strange, thought-provoking (even for Sam) questions … but mostly funny questions.

"Sammy? Is the moon really made of cheese?" Emmy asked while Sam felt her playing with his hair. He hoped she wasn't putting braids again, he'll never hear the end of it from his brother.

"Rummy always waddles his tail when he's happy. Why don't we have tails? I would love to have one; a white, furry tail with little black dots on it like the Dalmatians."

"Why did we used to be monkeys, and why aren't we still monkeys? I'd be a very pretty monkey but not like the one from The Lion King. He has a big butt."

"Sammy, why can't I see my eyes? If I cross my eyes, my nose stands in the way so they can't see each other. Sammy, can you cross your eyes?" Emmy lowered her head upside down until she was face to face with her brother, their noses touching.

"What?" Sam was a little startled, he hadn't been listening.

"Can you cross your eyes?" she repeated. Sam did as she asked making her giggle. "You look funny!" she laughed as Sam kissed her forehead before she got back up.

"Sammy, where does the sun go when it's dark? Does it go to sleep like us? I think he has a huge bed somewhere next to the stars, but we can't see it, cause we're also sleeping when it's asleep. I wonder if it snores. I don't think so, or it would wake us all up."

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the six year old's logic. He wasn't about to correct her, it was nice to have another point of view of life. He actually liked her version better than the scientific explanation.

"Miss Carlton said that thousands and thousands and thousands of years ago, meteors hit the earth. But I think she's lying cause how come the crocodiles survived? And why does Miss Carlton have a mustache like Daddy?"

"Uncle Bobby always snores so loud, sometimes it wakes me up. Dean says that when uncle Bobby was little, he swallowed lots of trumpets and that's why his snores sound like trumpets. I'm sure Dean is lying cause uncle Bobby's snores don't sounds like trumpets, they sound like airplanes. I think uncle Bobby swallowed lots of little airplanes."

Emmy dropped her head next to her brother's, plastering her cheek against his. "Sammy, I wanna get down now."

Sam looked around the salvage yard, hundredth of cars scattered about the field. He still hadn't found the car he was looking for. He reached his arms behind him and lifted his little sister off his shoulders, putting her down on the ground. As soon as her little feet touched the ground, she already started walking around. Sam rolled his eyes. "Emmy, remember what Dean said."

Emmy squinted her eyes from the sun, scrunching up her little nose and looking up at him adorably. "That candy is food?"

"No, after that," Sam snorted. "And don't believe everything Dean says."

"Oh, the rules?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded, crouching down in front of her. "He said, don't wander off. Stay close where I can see you."

"Okay, I'll go play with the tires," she said pointing at the piles of tires.

"Be careful, alright," Sam warned, briefly tweaking her chin.

"Okidoki!" she smiled, skipping to the tires.

Sam wandered off to look for the pickup, making sure to keep an eye on his sister. After looking for another fifteen minutes, he finally found the beat up red Chevy. Sam quickly got to work and opened the hood to get the right parts.

**SPN**

Sam lost track of time when he suddenly felt a tug on his t-shirt. He looked down to see his baby sister, her cheeks and sweater were smudged with dirt, her messy bun escaped from the rubber band – there were more loose strands of hair around her round face.

"Sammy, I'm tired," she yawned as she rubbed her eyes with her dimpled knuckles.

Sam looked down at his watch and did a double take when he realized they've been here for almost an hour. "Crap," he muttered to himself. He had to hurry it up before it gets dark or Dean and Bobby will get worried. "Why don't you sit there," he pointed at an empty beer crate with a piece of carton on it, "and I'll wrap this up so we can get back, okay?"

Emmy nodded tiredly. "Can I play with your iPod?"

"Sure, honey." Sam fetched the music player from his pocket and handed it to her. "Hey, where's your sweater," he asked when he suddenly noticed her bare arms. It wasn't cold or anything, summer in South Dakota could get really hot in July but still.

Emmy shrugged her little shoulders. "I think I left it with the tires. You want me to get it?"

Sam shook his head. "No, no. Let me finish this first and we'll get it afterwards."

"Okidoki," she nodded as she hopped to the crate.

**SPN**

Sam wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his arm when he finally finished collecting the parts. He probably would've done it faster if he had a better knowledge of cars but that has always been Dean's department, so he wasn't that good in it. In fact, he was never really good with things that got his hands dirty. He was more of a research kinda guy. Give him a book and he'll amaze you with the things he could do with the information.

Sam looked up at the blaring sun and noticed it getting down. The clouds weren't sky blue anymore but had a pink-purplish color to it, signaling him that it was time to get back. Emmy must be exhausted. Speaking of Emmy. Sam noticed that her humming died down and that it was awfully quiet … too quiet.

"Emmy?" Sam called her but got no response. He gathered his stuff in a box and walked over to the crater only to find it empty. "Emmy!" Sam called again but still no response. "Emmy, this is not the time to play hide and seek! Let's go back home, honey! I know you're tired!"

Sam went quiet for a full minute, hoping to catch a sound that may lead him to his baby sister. But there was not even a peep. Sam wasn't one to panic, he was actually the calm one. But this was differently. This was about his Emmy and he couldn't find her. He tried to ignore the fear and concern settling in the pit of his stomach and cupped his hands around his mouth. "EMMY! EMMY!" He walked around the yard, all the while yelling her name but nothing.

Sam raked his hands through his hair nervously. This was bad. This was really bad. A million of things that could happen to her flew through his mind, only making him more worried. After spending another ten minutes looking for her, Sam decided he needed help. Grabbing his phone, Sam speed dialed his brother.

"_Dude, what's keeping you so long? It's almost seven and Emmy still needs a bath, it's your turn to fix dinner and Bobby needs help with-"_

"Dean," Sam cut his brother off, instantly shutting him up. It was as if Dean could sense by the slight tremble in his tone that something was wrong.

"_Sam … " _Dean said cautiously, almost dreading to hear what his brother had to say.

"You need to get here. Like right now," Sam pressed urgently.

"_What's going on?"_ Dean asked dreadfully.

"It's Emmy…" Sam exhaled loudly, running a hand down his face, "I can't find her."

**SPN**

"EMMY!" Dean shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was getting hoarse after yelling for twenty minutes now. He was past the stage of being concerned and scared, he was worried to death now. All kinds of scenario's flashed before his eyes, and all of them had his sister in some kind of danger. What ate at him the most is that she was just a six year old naïve, vulnerable and innocent little girl who fit the description of the victims of so many evil lurking around this world. She was easy bait, the kind that couldn't fight back, the kind that was too easy to lure in, the kind that was too easy to hurt or worse … Dean shook his head, trying to get rid of the images of his sister being hurt. It physically pained him thinking of that little adorable girl – that possessed his heart in so many ways – being hurt.

Sam panted as he finally reached his brother. He had run the entire perimeter of the salvage yard, but in vain. Dean gave his brother a questioning – _begging –_ look and it took everything in Sam to shake his head. Dean's shoulders visibly sagged in disappointment.

"Okay, we need to change our strategy," Dean decided firmly, wetting his lips. "So where did you last see her?"

"On that beer crate, right behind that red pickup I was working on," Sam said for the millionth time. "Dean we've already scoped out that place, there's nothing-"

"Where was she before that?" Dean cut him off midsentence.

Sam sighed tiredly. "She was playing with the tires."

"Then let's check those out again."

Sam huffed. He was almost sure that their sister wasn't even in the salvage yard. They've literally looked everywhere.

"What if she got back to Bobby's?" Sam wondered out loud as he followed his brother.

"Bobby's home in case she gets back," Dean answered, his eyes scanning every inch in front of him.

"Dean, I doubt she knows her way back. What if she got lost on the way?"

Dean spun around quickly, causing Sam to almost bump into him. "Would you stop saying stuff like that?" he forced through gritted teeth.

Sam swallowed hard and nodded faintly. He didn't realize how distressed and troubled his brother really was until he looked at the anxious green eyes. Dean might seem all collected on the outside but his eyes betrayed how he really felt on the inside.

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"Just keep moving." Dean turned around.

Sam didn't say anything else and followed suit. "Hey, did you find her sweater?"

"What sweater?" Dean asked.

"She left her sweater with the tires," Sam elaborated. "You didn't find it?"

"No, there was nothing-"

Dean didn't get the chance to finish his sentence when a loud bark suddenly interrupted him.

Sam eyed his brother. "You brought Rumsfield?"

"No. He must've followed me," Dean grumbled.

The black Rottweiler suddenly came strolling to them, the red sweater between his teeth. The boys' eyes widened when their gaze fell upon the piece of clothing.

Sam crouched next to the dog, rubbing it's head. "Hey buddy. Where did you find this thing?"

"Sam, don't waste your time on that bitch."

"Dean," Sam glared at his brother. "He's a dog, he probably has a better chance at finding her." Dean rolled his eyes but kept his opinion to himself as Sam pressed the sweater against the dog's nose. "Go find her, buddy. Go bring her back," he said as he patted the dog's back. Rumsfeld instantly started running off.

"And you think this'll work?" Dean asked skeptically.

"It's worth the try."

Dean scoffed. "Sam, that dog can't even smell the difference between peanut butter and rat poison."

"Dean, I really don't think now's the time to get picky. Just accept the help and keep looking," Sam said firmly.

"Fine," he shot back. "You stay here, I'll check out the roads and call Bobby if he saw her."

**SPN**

It was getting dark now and colder and Sam could only think about his baby sister sitting somewhere alone. She must be tired, cold and hungry. What he wouldn't do to just have her in his warm embrace where she was safe. Knowing about the supernatural made him realize that there was no place on earth where you could hide from the monsters. They were literally everywhere … and his sister could be _everywhere_.

The loud barking of Rumsfeld snapped him back to reality. Sam ran as fast as he could, following the sound of the dog. Sam skidded to a stop at the red pickup he was working on. He didn't understand why Rumsfeld lead him here, they've searched this area more than enough times.

"What is it, buddy?"

The dog leaned his front legs on the back of the pickup as he kept barking. Sam frowned and moved to the back of the car. There was nothing in the open trunk, just a big grey tarp.

"There's nothing in here, Rumsfeld." Sam leaned away from the trunk causing the dog to bark louder. Sam decided to humor the dog and moved the tarp away. The trunk only contained some used Jerry cans, rusty tools and –

Sam's breath caught in his throat when he looked at the peaceful, sleeping small girl laying in a ball on some old rug. She had the earphones of his iPod in her ears as music played loudly. Her messy hair was all over her face, one of her sneakers fell of and Sam could see the goose bumps all over her skin.

Sam felt like someone cleared his head from all the worrying thoughts, the weight on his shoulders fell off and he could suddenly breathe again. He quickly grabbed his phone and called Dean and Bobby.

Sam pushed the dog aside and jumped into the trunk. How could he be so stupid! She was right there all along, she never went away, she just probably got so tired and climbed into trunk. To think he was working on the same pickup and he still didn't catch her getting in the car.

Emmy moaned as Sam lifted her up in his arms. "Oh, Emmy," he whispered as he planted kisses on her head. He jumped out of the car and sat on the trunk, hugging her close against his body, relief flooding through him.

Rumsfeld started licking her fingers in excitement, causing her to stir.

"S'mmy?" she croaked.

"Yeah, honey," Sam answered as he cradled her like a baby so he could see her better. He ran his fingers through her soft hair, trying to smooth it down.

"You done yet?" she slurred, her eyes still closed.

Sam couldn't help but laugh, slightly shaking his head. He settled his hand on her cheek, running his thumb over her eyebrow. "Don't ever do that to me again, Emmy."

"Do wha'?" she mumbled.

"Run off. You got me worried sick. I thought you ran away and got lost. Or that someone took you from us," Sam trailed off. "Don't ever leave us like that ever again, honey. It's not safe out there, you have no idea how much danger is surrounding us. I don't want you to ever get hurt. You need to stay close to Dean and I. We can protect you, keep you safe from those things. We don't want to lose you, too. I don't think I could handle losing someone else I love, not again …" Sam sniffled trying to keep the tears at bay. He never realized how much his sister's disappearance really affected him until now.

Sam pushed the dog away as it nudged his muzzle against his sister's arm, trying to get her attention. But Emmy was dead to the world, she was far away in dreamland. Sam wondered if she even heard what he had said.

"Let her sleep, Rumsfeld. You can play with her tomorrow," Sam said as he took his sister sweater, trying to put it on without waking her up. Just as he was done dressing her, the familiar rumble of the Impala sounded through the yard.

Dean practically ran over to his siblings. His heart took a leap at seeing his baby sister safe in his brother's arm. She was okay, he thought as he mentally checked her for injuries or anything that should alarm him. But he was relieved knowing she was okay. She was okay. _She's okay_. He had to keep repeating the words in his head to reassure himself that she actually was okay.

"I don't know if I should kiss her or kill her," Dean said as he took her from his brother's arm. He hugged her sleeping body tightly against his, needing the physical reassurance that, again, she was okay, especially in his arms. He didn't trust anyone to keep her safe, only himself. It wasn't like he didn't believe his family could keep her safe but being there for her since their mother died, Dean had built up this bond with his baby sister. A bond that connected himself to her and he felt like he was the only in the world who could take care of her. His family can take care of Emmy too, but no one could do it better than him.

"I oughta take all your toys away for giving us a frikkin' scare like that," Dean muttered as he peppered her face with kisses.

"Hmm, go away," Emmy mumbled, trying to push her brother's face away. He was interrupting her dreams of unicorns swimming in a sea of cotton candy, a sweet dream that held no signs of the emotional rollercoaster she just pulled her brothers through.

"You wish," Dean snorted. "How did you find her?" he asked his brother.

"Rumsfeld found her in the trunk. She was sleeping under the tarp with the earphones in her ears. That's why she probably didn't hear us," Sam explained, tucking his hand in his pocket, using the other to scratch behind the dog's ears. "Guess, he does come in handy."

Dean eyed the dog. He had to admit, the dog's obsession with his baby sister kinda saved him from having a heart attack. "Hmpf, I still don't like you," Dean told the Rottweiler who barked in response.

Emmy stirred from the sound, she didn't bother lifting her head up from her brother's shoulder or open her eyes for that matter. "Hey, Rummy," she said drowsily causing the Rottweiler to bark again. "Off course you can," she giggled sleepily.

Sam shared a look with Dean. "What?" Sam asked her.

"He asked if he can sleep with me tonight," she said as she yawned.

"You speak dog now?" Dean chuckled as he carried her to the car with Sam walking next to him.

"No, you silly. He speaks like us in his head. I can read his mind."

"Wow, how tired are you?" Sam snickered. She always said the weirdest thing when she was half asleep. It's like her brains didn't function enough to make actual sense.

"I wonder if there are dinosaurs in heaven."

"Oh, she is worn out," Dean chuckled.

**A/N: You guys, I had so much fun writing this! It's so much more realxing than Be(lie)ve. I hope I didn't make too many grammar errors. Please review and let me know your thoughts. If you have an idea or request for the coming chapters, please let me know :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Boobies

**Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke. I only own my character Mary-Elisabeth "Emmy" Winchester.**

_Emmy: 3 y/o  
Sam: 15 y/o  
Dean: 19 y/o_

It was that annoying, extremely catchy theme song of Sesame Street that woke Dean up. He could hear a soft voice humming while little hands put butterfly band aids all over his battered body. He was never going to take down a wraith on his own again. He really didn't know who he was trying to prove but he knew he was only fooling himself. He did it all for his Dad, demanding the old man to take him serious. And even though Dean's head felt like it was going to explode, his ribs ached and his back was killing him, it was all worth it. His dad was proud of him, and what more can you wish for than your father's appraisal and proudness. Now Dean only had to deal with Sam's bitching.

Dean caught the scent of apples, his baby sister's shampoo, as she put another band aid on his face. He could feel her soft breath fanning against his cheek as she hummed close to his ear, loose strands of her hair tickling his forehead.

Once she leaned away he could hear her huff in frustration as she struggled with something.

"SAMMY!"

"Jesus Christ," Dean cussed, holding his head. If her prodding hadn't woken him up then her good sets of longs definitely did.

The little girl giggled. "Emmy no Jesus, Emmy is Emmy!"

Dean cracked his eyes open, a yawn escaping between his lips. "I know that, you silly goose." He tweaked her nose. "What do you need Sam for?" His voice still thick with sleep.

Emmy held up her little med kit. "Box no wanna open," she pouted.

Dean took it from her, effortlessly opening the red kit, displaying the toys, equipment that a supposed nurse or doctor would use. "There you go, cutie pie."

The door to the small bedroom of the apartment they were renting opened with a screech.

Sam sighed. "Emmy, didn't I tell you to let Dean sleep."

"But he sick and Emmy hafta take care of him. Imma docor."

"You're a doctor?" Sam repeated.

"Hmm," Emmy nodded. "And you my asister."

"Okay, I'll be your assistent," he agreed as he moved to the side of the bed. "How you feeling?"

"Peachy," Dean shrugged. But he soon betrayed himself when Emmy put her stethoscope to his stomach and he flinched.

Sam snorted in disbelief. "I can see that."

"Youw tummy make weird noise," Emmy laughed. "Now I listen to youw heart." She put the stethoscope on her brother's ribs on the lower right side.

"That's not where my heart is, Emmy," Dean chuckled, guiding her hand to the right spot, on the left side of his heart.

"Told you you shouldn't go off on your own," Sam commented casually.

Dean rolled his eyes, he saw this coming from miles. "Sam stop it, okay. I dealt with it, torched the sucker and saved a bunch of people."

"You forgot the part where you almost killed yourself."

"Newsflash, Sammy. That's usual what happens when you hunt mons-" Dean managed to quickly bite his tongue before the word came out. He looked down at his baby sister who was too busy listening to every spot on his body she could reach. Apparently his body made funny sounds and she thought it was the most fascinating thing ever. Looking at her, there was always one thing that radiated off her in abundance. Innocence. And that's exactly what his family was trying to preserve.

"What if things went south?" Sam snapped him back to the conversation. "Dad's all the way in Montana, Bobby is in South Dakota and I'm here alone with Emmy. Who did you think would come for help?"

"No one, cause I don't need help, Sam. Isn't that what I just proved?"

"No. That's what you proved to Dad," Sam snapped. "The only thing you showed me is that you're reckless and that you don't think about the consequences of your brash behavior."

Dean regarded him for a couple of seconds. He understood his brother, he really did. Had it been Sam who decided to take this wraith all on his own, he'd probably drag his ass back home. But Dean was the oldest. He took care of his younger siblings and not the other way around. They weren't allowed to tell him what to do or not do. And honestly, it did kinda feel good knowing that there was still someone who cared about him. Dean appreciated that but off course that's not what he was going to say.

Instead he said, "Are you done bitching?"

Sam sighed with a slight shake of his head, his hair flying around. He stood up and threw some pills on the nightstand. "Here. Take it, don't take it. Whatever."

Dean reached for the aspirins to ease his headache. He was about to swallow them dry when someone stopped him.

"NO!"

Dean pinched his eyes, he was sure that his eardrums were damaged by now.

"Emmy is docor," she insisted, taking the pill.

"Emmy when you're done, let Dean get some rest okay?" Sam told her.

"Owkidowki!" She turned her attention back on Dean when Sam closed the door behind him. "Open youw mouth." She carefully put the pill on his tongue, shrieking when he pretended biting her fingers as he nibbled on them. "De, stop!" When he gave in, she took the bottle of water. Dean reached for it but Emmy quickly slapped his hands away giving him a stern look. It took everything in Dean not to laugh from the adorableness. Once he swallowed down the pill, she patted his head like some good dog.

"Now Emmy hafta kiss alllllll youw booboos better."

Dean smiled inwardly when she proceeded to peck every band aid she put on him. And there were a _lot_ of them.

"I think you forgot a spot." Dean pointed at his cheek.

Emmy scrunched up her freckled button nose in confusion. "Emmy no see booboo."

"Take a closer look."

She lowered her head to his face. "Whewe?"

"Can't you see it? It's right there."

"I no see it," she shook her head, her pigtails bouncing around her face.

"Get closer."

Dean waited until her face was close enough before he cupped her chubby cheeks peppering her round face with kisses.

Emmy squealed in delight, wiggling in his hold. Dean winced when she accidently hit a particular spot on his ribs but he sucked it in.

"Thanks for taking care of me, doctor Emmy."

His baby sister grinned, showing off those cute dimples. "Youw welcome."

"_Emmy, food is ready_!" Sam shouted from the other room.

"Go get some yummy for this little tummy." Dean briefly tickled her stomach.

"Fiwst, I wap you up like a buwito!" she said as she crawled all over him trying to make sure he was entirely covered.

"What did I do to deserve such a sweet little sister, huh." Dean reached forward to give her another kiss before helping her getting off the bed.

"Night night, no let bugs bite!"

Dean grinned. "They wouldn't dare."

**SPN**

"Hands up," Sam ordered once Emmy sat on a chair at the kitchen table. He slid one of his old t-shirts over her body. His baby sister was probably the messiest kid he had ever seen. A bib was totally useless, they've learned the hard way. She was a pro at getting stains on the most unexplainable spots. A t-shirt was the only thing that covered enough.

Sam proceeded to gather her hair in a bun to clear her face because even the loose strands were not safe. Emmy looked up at him adorably and he couldn't help but kiss her button nose.

"You want the Arielle or Mulan plate?"

"AWIELLE!" She excitedly clapped her hands.

"Emmy what did I tell you about lowering your voice. You don't need to shout we can perfectly hear you."

"Oops, Emmy forgetted."

Sam looked at her little pout of pure genuine regret. That was his sister for you, she was still too young to make a difference between the true meaning of his words and intonation. She always assumed the worst.

"It's okay munchkin. I'm not mad," he reassured her. "Everyone forgets sometimes. It can happen."

Like their father who had promised to show up on his football game yesterday. But the man was probably too busy killing monsters, saving people while forgetting his own son ... again.

Sam filled their plates with some SpaghettiOs, making sure to leave some for Dean when he wakes up. He then filled Emmy's Sippy cup with water before he put it all on the table.

"Mhmmm, shpaghio's!"

Sam chuckled. "Don't make a mess!" Oh who was he kidding, it was inevitable.

"Sammy?"

"Yeah."

"I wan boobies."

Sam stopped mid-chew, looking at her like a deer caught in the headlights. "You want what?"

"Boobies."

"Boobies?"

"Booooooooobies." She stretched the word as if that would suddenly make him understand.

"Boobies..." Sam repeated slowly.

"Sammy, I think youw eaw is bwoke." Emmy huffed, giving her brother an eye roll. One that would have made him laugh or grab her and smother her with kisses because it was that cute. But he was still too busy processing the word in his head. She then gasped dramatically as if suddenly remembering something. "Emmy is docor! I fix youw eaw!"

Sam snapped out of it and stopped her before she could move. "No, no just stay on your seat and eat. My ears are perfectly fine. Emmy do you even know what _boobies_ are?"

She nodded. "Lizzy have a lot boobies. She take it to school."

Well that didn't make sense. Lizzy was as old as Emmy. Sam was sure that this was one of her deformed words again and he had to guess what she meant by it. What even resembled the word boobies? Groupies? Movies? Cooties?

"Emmy, what do they look like?"

"They wittle, black or wed or blue or purple and they yummy."

So its definitely something to eat, that much he figured. "Is it a fruit?"

"Miss Levi say boobies is good for youw body. They healfy."

"They're healthy?"

"Mhhm," Emmy nodded absently as she took another bite of her meal. Sam noticed her lifting up her left hand but he gently grabbed it to stop her. She had to learn to eat with her fork without the use of her other hand. "And she also say stawboobies have fweckles like me," she giggled like it was the funniest thing ever.

And that's when it dawned on Sam.

"Berries. You're talking about berries?"

"Boobies. Is what Emmy say." She looked at him with an expression that clearly said _duh, are you deaf or something_?

Sam sighed, leaning back against his chair. Well that was a shock he had to recover from. You don't ever want to hear your sister telling you she wants boobies.

"Emmy, say berries."

"Boobies."

"No not boobies. Berries."

"Boobies."

Sam couldn't help but laugh.

Emmy crossed her arms over her small chest, her lips pouted. "No make fun of me."

"Aww, I'm not making fun of you, honey. You're just too adorable, sometimes I just wanna eat you up." He pinched her cheeks.

Emmys eyes widened. "NO! No eat me!" And that's exactly what Sam meant with her inability of making a difference between what he means figuratively and literally. "Emmy no wanna be eated!" She cried, fat tears rolling down her chubby rosy cheeks.

"Emmy, honey, I didn't mean it like that," Sam soothed, already picking her up and placing her in his lap. He wiped away a trail of sauce on her trembling chin. "I was just making a joke, I'm not really gonna eat you. Besides you probably don't even taste good."

Sam quickly realized another mistake, because his words only made her cry harder. He didn't know if he should laugh because her thinking he would actually eat her is hilarious, or that he should comfort her because obviously the thought scared her to death.

Sam hugged her close, stroking her hair. "Shh, Emmy, you're gonna wake up Dean," he murmured against her soft hair while rocking her back and forth. "I promise I'm not gonna eat you. People don't eat people." He was about to say they only eat certain animals but that would probably only upset her more because everyone knew how much she loved animals. "Look if you promise to stop crying, I'll get you some strawberries."

That seemed to have done the trick because she instantly ceased her crying. It amazed Sam how easily she could turn off the waterworks. Emmy looked up at him with her big blue teary eyes. "Pwomise?" She sniffed.

"I promise." Sam wiped her face clean with her shirt before kissing her forehead.

**SPN**

It was five in the afternoon when Dean woke up to a silent and empty apartment. He groaned, stretching himself out as best as he could without pulling any muscles. He then made his way over to the kitchenette barefooted, kicking some toys away with his foot. There was a note on the fridge from Sam stating that he went to the grocery store with Emmy. That was an hour ago so they should be heading back by now. In the meantime, Dean made some strong coffee to shake the sleep off and used it to swallow down some painkillers.

He could hear the familiar footsteps and giggling from the hallway and smiled to himself. It was only a matter of seconds before a hyperactive little bundle would barge into the apartment. And as he predicted –

"WE BAAAAAAAACK!"

Dean cringed, his head throbbing from the loudness of her voice.

Sam closed the door behind him and gave her a look of disapproval. "Emmy, what did I just say?"

"Be silent," she whispered. "Sowy."

"You're unbelievable." Sam stroked her hair before he led her to the kitchen.

"Hey cutie pie." Dean opened his arms for her.

Emmy happily obliged and jumped into his arms. Dean barely refrained from wincing. She cupped his cheeks, squishing them together. "Whewe is all the bandits?"

"The band aids?" Dean mumbled around her hands. "Oh, I took them off because I feel all better now."

"Weally?" she asked excitedly.

"Whatever you did doctor Emmy, it worked."

She put her lips close to his ear and whispered – well, it wasn't really whispering since Sam could perfectly hear her from across the kitchen. The kid obviously had problems with controlling her voice. "It was the faiwies. They give magic dust to me."

Sam could see that Dean was barely managing to contain his laughter, his eyes betrayed him though. "Oh, really? Well that was nice of them. Will you tell them I said thanks?"

"Emmy no faiwie, I is person. I no talk to faiwie," she reasoned, shaking her head at him like he was stupid.

Dean decided to humor her and played along into her imagination. He slapped his forehead. "Off course, silly me."

Emmy giggled. "Yeah, you silly."

"So what did you guys get?" he asked, moving Emmy to his other hip because his ribs were killing him.

"BOOBIES!"

Dean flinched again. He was sure that she was going to make him deaf by the age of thirty.

She quickly realized her mistake though and covered her mouth. "Sowy." She then decided to drop a kiss on Dean's ear as if that would repair the damage. "Thewe, all better."

As always, Dean could never stay mad at her. "Thanks baby." He kissed her before addressing Sam. "I don't know if I'm already getting hearing problems, but did she just say _boobies_?"

"That's exactly what she said," Sam chuckled. "We bought us some boobies, right Emmy?"

"Yep! You wan boobies too, De?"

"Uh." Dean was still in the process of wrapping his mind around the word. "Are we talking about the boobies I know?"

Sam frowned. "You know other boobies?"

"You tell me," Dean replied. "I know you're not talking about the boobies I know. So obviously, there's another kind of boobies." He went quiet for a couple of seconds. "That's probably the weirdest sentence that ever came out of my mouth."

Sam rolled his eyes and unloaded the paper bag, placing the box of strawberries on the table.

"Stawboobies!" Emmy clapped her hands in glee.

Dean laughed in realization. "Oh, okay. This one's pretty damn funny." He placed a smacking kiss on the little girl's cheek, jostling her in his arms. "You're a funny kid, you know that?"

"I know," she nodded causing Dean to laugh harder. "Sammy say we make fwoot salad."

Dean took a seat at the table, placing her on his lap. "Off course he would say that, he's a health freak."

"Jerk," Sam muttered under his breath.

"Bitch," Dean coughed.

"You sick again?" Emmy asked worriedly.

Dean hugged her close to him. "Nah, that was a fake cough."

Emmy scrunched up her tiny button nose. "You weird."

"And you're adorable." Dean nuzzled her nose.

"Can I cut fwoot?" she asked excitedly once Sam started to lay out some apples, oranges, bananas and strawberries on the table. His family wasn't really into healthy food, especially not their father and Dean, but having a little toddler around they had to maintain a healthy eating habit that contained enough fruit and vegetables needed to stimulate her growth and development. Besides, it's what their mother would've done. Luckily Emmy never fussed about her food, she'd eat whatever you give her, she wasn't picky she was just really messy.

"How about you peel the banana's, huh? And take off the crowns on the strawberries," Sam suggested as he started peeling and cutting the other fruits. She couldn't even eat without using both hands, he wasn't about to give her a knife.

"Owkidowki!"

Dean helped her with the strawberries while he snuck some into his mouth.

Emmy caught him and smacked his hand. "Stop eating all stawboobies, De!"

"I didn't eat any strawberries," Dean feigned innocence, putting his hands up.

"Yes you did." Emmy poked her chubby finger on his bulging cheek. "You vewy vewy _vewy _bad boy. Wight, Sammy?"

Sam looked up from cutting some apples into pieces. "That's right, munchkin. Dean is a very bad boy."

Dean smirked. "That's what she said," he mumbled under his breath.

"You're disgusting," Sam deadpanned.

"You hafta wait!" Emmy scolded, wiggling her finger in her oldest brother's face.

"But I'm hungry." Dean pretended to bite her finger.

Sam dropped his knife, giving his brother a warning look. "Oh dude, you shouldn't have said that."

Before Dean could ask why, Emmy started bawling her eyes out on his lap. He instantly hugged her close, trying to console her, confusion written all over his face. He sent his brother a questioning look.

"She thinks you're gonna eat her. As in literally _eat _her," Sam explained.

"Oh." Dean felt a laugh bubbling up inside him, but taking one look at his upset baby sister made him force it down. "Aww, sweetheart. I'm not gonna eat you."

Emmy wiped her nose on his shirt, sniffling. "Say sowy," she demanded.

"I am very very very very _very_ sorry," Dean apologized. "Is that enough?" Emmy nodded. "Will you forgive me now?" The little girl nodded again. "Can I have a kiss?"

"No," she shook her head. "Cuz you eat all stawboobies."

"Ouch." Sam chuckled.

Dean sighed. "Fair enough."

**SPN**

"Mhmmmm!" Emmy licked her sticky fingers after she ate all her strawberries.

"Don't forget to eat your other fruits too," Sam reminded her while Dean wiped her face with a tissue.

"I wan more stawboobies."

Dean chuckled. "I think you've eaten more than enough, sweetheart. Why don't you finish your plate and tomorrow you can have more strawberries."

"But I wan it now!" She stubbornly stuck out her chin.

"Emmy," Sam started with a warning tone. Everyone knew that three year olds could be extremely stubborn and no matter how sweet and good his baby sister was, even she couldn't skip that phase. "How about I'll give you one last strawberry and you promise not to throw a fit," he compromised.

She scratched at her neck, impatiently sticking out her hand for the strawberry. "Owkidowki."

"Deal," Sam stressed, making sure she got it before she changed his words again.

"Deal."

Sam relented and gave her the strawberry, earning an excited toothy grin from the blonde toddler. "Thank you, Sammy!"

Sam winked at her before putting away the box containing the strawberries. He made sure to put them on the top shelf of the refrigerator, out of the toddler's reach. When he turned around he found Emmy's hand pushing Dean's face away, as he pretended to try to eat her one last strawberry.

"No! Mine!" she shrieked with a high pitched noise, causing the brothers to wince.

"Dean, stop it," Sam sighed. His brother was adamant on showing his father how mature and independent he was. But the moment he was with Emmy, he always got easily carried away and practically changed into an overgrown toddler.

Dean stopped teasing his little sister and let her eat her strawberry in peace. He smiled inwardly when he caught her eyes shifting to his occasionally, as if to keep watch in case he decided to snatch it away from her.

"Guess who we saw on our way to the store," Sam started, giving Dean a taunting look.

"Valewie!" Emmy grinned.

"Oh god," Dean groaned at the mention of their neighbor. It wasn't that he hated her or anything, quite the opposite. But he had a rule where he didn't like to keep contact with his 'hook ups'. And Valerie seemed to break that rule over and over again. She kept visiting them, claiming to want to see his siblings but Dean knew better. Sam kinda liked her, she was a second year medical student and he felt like he could talk to her about university and college and all of that stuff. Emmy was a huge fan of Valerie too since the girl loved to let the toddler play with her brown curls.

"I told her you weren't feeling well and she said she'd drop by later in the day."

"Sam!" Dean exclaimed.

"Consider it payback for missing my game," Sam shot back.

Dean cocked an eyebrow. "Your game?"

Sam peeked at him through his bangs, giving him a look. It took several seconds before Dean registered it.

"Aw hell," he mumbled under his breath. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I totally forgot about yesterday. Why didn't you tell me anything. I would've waited with that _thing_, better yet I would've just passed it on to another hunter."

"Doesn't matter. It's not like we won or anything."

"So?" Dean shrugged before his lips formed a smug smirk. "Did you meet some nice cheerleaders?"

Sam snorted with a shake of his head. "Dean, get your mind out of the gutter, will ya."

"I IS DONE!" Emmy smacked her lips. She took one look at her brothers and instantly regretted shouting. "Oops. Sowy," she apologized _again_ as she scratched her neck.

Dean was about to reprimand her when he noticed something on her throat. The skin was lightly blotched as if she scratched a little too hard. "Hey, stop that," he said while he pried her hand away.

"Can I go play?" she asked a little breathless.

Sam frowned but quickly brushed his worry away. "Sure, honey."

Emmy hopped of Dean's lap and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. Once she was out of sight, both brothers could hear a thump on the floor signaling them that she must've stumbled. Sam and Dean looked at each other, waiting for the cries that usually came when she fell.

"Emmy is okay!" she yelled from the living room.

The boys shook their heads with a smile on their faces.

**SPN**

It was Dean who answered the door when someone knocked. He casted one look at Sam who was at the table doing homework and another at Emmy who was on the carpet, playing with her Barbie dolls, before he opened the door.

A young girl, around Dean's age, stood there with her brown curls framing her heart shaped face while holding a plate in her hands.

"Hi," she greeted excitedly. Maybe a little _too _excited.

"Hey." Dean cleared his throat, trying hard to conceal his lack of enthusiasm.

"I just baked an apple pie and I happened to remember how much you liked it. So I thought I'd share it with you," she smiled sweetly. "And your brother and sister too off course," she added quickly. As if it wasn't obvious already that he was the only reason she kept showing up at their door. Dean didn't like to move around a lot, for the sake of his siblings, but right now he was ready to pack their bags and leave to another state, away from clingy Valerie.

After a long pregnant pause, Valerie nervously cleared her throat.

Dean snapped out of it quickly with a shake of his head. "Right. The cake. Well, uh, you can just give it to me."

"Oh okay." She handed him the cake and Dean didn't fail to notice the disappointment flashing in her eyes.

"Thanks though. I'm sure it's very delicious," Dean smiled, trying not to be rude. Apparently it worked, because Valerie's face instantly lit up. It took everything in Dean not to show his frustration.

"So, what happened to your face?" she asked worriedly.

_None of your business. _"Nothing to worry about," Dean quickly dismissed.

Valerie got the message and decided to change her approach. "So how are Sam and Emmy?"

"They're just fine-" Dean started to say when two little arms wrapped around his leg.

"De?"

Dean rested his hand on top of Emmy's head, gently stroking her hair back. "Hey cutie pie, what's up?"

She buried her head in his leg, tugging at his pants. "I no feel good."

Dean put the cake back in Valerie's hands before picking his sister up, situating her on his hip. His hand automatically went to her forehead but she didn't feel warm.

"What's with her neck?" Valerie asked.

Dean's hands instantly pulled her hair to the side, revealing her small neck. His eyebrows bunched together in concern when he saw how red the soft skin was. From up close he could see the small, white scratches from her nails and the beginnings of what looked like hives.

"It's itchy," Emmy said when Dean gently ran his fingers over the rash.

"Does anything else itch, sweetie?" Valerie asked.

The little girl nodded as she pointed at her mouth. "My mouf."

"Can you open your mouth for me Emmy?" Valerie asked as she walked into the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Dean threw her an annoying look but either she didn't notice or she simply ignored him. He didn't know what angered him the most, the fact that she thought she was some kinda doctor who knew what was going on with his baby sister. Or the fact that she just basically invited herself in, taking matters into her own hand. It was _his_ sister, he was so supposed to take care of her, not her.

"Oh, that doesn't look good," she informed after inspecting the toddler's mouth. "The insides of her cheeks are too red and her lips are swollen."

"Emmy, show me," Dean ordered.

"What's going on?" Sam asked, emerging from the kitchen. "Oh, hey Valerie."

"Hi Sam," she smiled. "Has your sister been eating anything she isn't supposed to?" she asked, addressing both brothers.

"Why? What's wrong?" Sam moved closer to his brother and sister. He took a look at Emmy's mouth and neck and cursed under his breath. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Dean pressed.

"It's the strawberries. I saw her scratching her neck a couple of times at the table and I just knew something was up."

"You mean she's allergic to them," Dean questioned. A sudden thought hit him and he sighed in realization. "Just like Mom," he whispered.

"It's nothing bad though. Don't worry," Valerie spoke up. "It doesn't look severe or worth a doctor's appointment. It seems like she only suffers from oral symptoms, which are easy to treat with some diphenhydramine. I would suggest something else for the rash though, maybe some hydrocortisone creams or placing a hot compress on the skin could help too."

"You lost me at diphen-whatever." Dean carelessly waved a hand around.

"Diphenhydramine," Valerie repeated for him. "That's just another word for Benadryl. You don't need a prescription to get it at the drugstore. Though I would suggest to let the hospital run some allergy tests on her, in case there's something else other than the strawberries."

"Is Emmy gonna be dead?" a soft, meek voice spoke up from against Dean's shoulder.

Sam reached out to her, caressing her chubby cheek with the back of his fingers. "Off course not, honey. It's just an allergy which means you can't eat a lot of strawberries anymore."

"Why?"

Dean jostled her gently in his arms so they were face to face. "Because that's why your throat itches and your mouth hurts."

Emmy scrunched up her freckled button nose, taking in the information. "Boobies are vewy bad."

Dean chuckled, kissing her cheek. "Yes they are."

He noticed Valerie giving them a weird look and considered explaining it to her, but then he thought he would prefer keeping this between his siblings. Valerie was just a one night stand, someone who would be part of the many nameless faces he spent his nights with. But this one just keeps coming back and it was starting to get annoying. But then again, she did help them with Emmy. So maybe she wasn't totally irritating.

"So how come she never got this reaction when she ate strawberry flavored ice cream or drank strawberry milkshakes," Sam questioned.

"Oh, that's not the same thing. They mix it with so many other ingredients which ends up eliminating the protein for the red anthocyanin biosynthesis expressed in strawberry ripening, it's what the allergen may be tied to. And they don't always necessarily use strawberries, it's very common to work with artificial strawberry flavorings and aromas. They are also widely used in many products like lip gloss, candy, hand sanitizer, perfume, and many others."

Dean's eyes widened, impressed. "And you know all of this stuff how …?"

"Uh, I'm in Med school," Valerie answered with a _duh_-tone. "I probably told you that a million times. Were you even listening?"

Sam bit his lip to hold in his laugh. "Dean has an attention span of a fly when it comes to listening. Especially where women are concerned."

Sam ignored the look his brother was shooting at him. _What?_ It was true, he was just stating a fact.

"Well, we better get her meds at the drugstore," Valerie decided, clapping her hands together.

"Yeah, I'll go get them." Dean moved to put Emmy in Sam's arms when his brother stopped him.

"Dean you're in no state to go out. I'll go, just give me the car keys."

"Dude, you don't even have your license yet," Dean pointed out the obvious.

Sam scoffed. "When has that ever stopped you from letting me drive?"

Dean shook his head. "I'm not letting you drive my baby. I'll go," he told him firmly.

"I'll come with you. I can show you the things you need," Valerie offered.

Dean thought for a second before fishing the car key from his pocket, throwing it to Sam. "On second thought, maybe I should stay with Emmy. Besides, my back still kinda hurts."

Sam saw right through the lie and barely managed to not roll his eyes. "Sure."

"Or I can just stay here and help you take care of Emmy," Valerie suggested, quickly changing her mind.

"Uh, no thanks. I can take it," Dean quickly said. "Besides, you should probably go with Sam. Knowing him he'll probably come back with Viagra or something."

Sam punched his brother on the arm, causing Dean to wince.

"No hurt my De!" Emmy hugged her brother close, plastering her cheek against his and stroking his arm as if to sooth the pain.

"Yeah, Sam. Don't hurt me." Dean smirked victoriously. "Who's the bad boy now?"

"Sammy," Emmy replied causing Dean to chuckle.

Sam shook his head, pulling on his jacket and shoes. "Shut up," he murmured.

"Well, see you guys later," Valerie smiled. "Bye sweetie!"

"Byeee." Emmy waved her hand.

"Bye," Dean joined her. "Until never again," he added once the door closed.

Dean moved to the couch, lying down and pulling Emmy on top of him. Her hand went to her throat again, scratching at the red skin. Dean pulled her hand away. "Sweetheart, you're gonna hurt yourself."

"But it's itchy," she pouted.

"I know, baby. But we'll have to wait until Sam gets back with your meds," he explained, stroking her hair.

"Sammy is docor now?"

"No, I am the doctor and he's the assistant remember? And as a doctor I have to take care of my patients."

Emmy wiggled her neck trying to create some friction to ease the itchiness. "But you no have medickin."

"True but I got something else that will instantly make you feel better," Dean grinned teasingly.

Before the girl could voice her question, her brother attacked her with tickles and blowing raspberries on her little neck. She squealed in surprise before she broke into a fit of giggles.

**A/N: Omg I had so much fun writing this! I don't really remember who suggested a one shot about the Winchesters discovering Emmy's allergy, but I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  
I want to thank my cute little cousins for being my inspiration for this chapter. Let me tell you one thing, toddlers are the funniest human beings on earth. I swear. If you don't personally know any toddlers, then I strongly suggest for you to befriend one because you have no idea what you're missing in your life lol**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter, I made it extra long for you guys because of the long wait. Thanks for being so patient. I take requests so don't hesitate if you have an idea.**

**Thanks again for your support, XXXXXXXXXXXXX!**


	5. Where is heaven?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. I only own my OC Mary-Elisabeth "Emmy" Winchester.**

_Emmy: 5 y/o  
Sam (at Stanford): 18 y/o  
Dean: 21 y/o_

"A month ago, Adrian Willis reported that nearly thirty chickens on his farm had been exsanguinated over a period of _two_ weeks. Two days later he found three strange animal carcasses outside his property," John summed up in a hushed tone, careful not to attract the attention of a certain five year old who was too busy humming the theme song of Sesame Street.

Dean leaned forward, crossing his arms on the small kitchen table. "You sure this is not some coyote or something?"

"That's what Wildlife Resources thought, but I've seen the pictures Dean, those were not coyotes. Willis described the creature as having large ears, whiskers, a long tail, spine on its back, and about the size of a dog," John pointed out, being beyond all doubt.

"Okay," Dean nodded, taking in the information. "So what do you think we're dealing with?"

"A chupacabra."

Dean cocked a single eyebrow in disbelief. "Where is this case?"

"Cuero, Texas," John answered. "Look I know what you're thinking, it's not common for these creatures to appear anywhere other than South America, that's why I need you to check this out."

Dean ran a hand down his face, not sold on the idea yet. "Dad, you've never even hunted a Chupacabra before, hell you've never even seen one!"

"Lower your damn voice," his father forced through gritted teeth, causing Dean to clench his jaw shut. "I might not have seen one, but Randall has, more than once."

"Since when do you take another hunter's word over your own? You've only worked with Randall once, and did you already forget last year when he thought he was dealing with a werewolf, and turns out it was just a husky with rabies," Dean shot back, his hands balled into fists.

"This isn't about what Randall saw, this is about you proving to me you can handle this on your own. Now stow the shillyshallying and get started."

Dean's eyes widened. "Wait, hold on, you want _me_ to gank this thing?"

"You got this Dean, I trust you. Besides, I still have to recover from that Vampire, the blood sucker nearly broke my spine."

Dean studied his father closely. This wasn't about trust or his injuries, this was about something else. He was the only one his father could rely on, especially with Sam gone to college. John couldn't afford taking Dean with him on hunts, not when they had a five year old that couldn't be left to her own devices. So now, it was either John or Dean that had to stay with Emmy while the other took care of the freaks that come out at night. Dean didn't feel like this was his father finally passing the torch to him, this was his father acting out of necessity.

John cleared his throat, pulling Dean out of his thoughts. "What's wrong? You're not gonna bail on this are you?"

"What? No, no, of course not." Dean couldn't believe his father even thought of the possibility of him chickening out. He was Dean friggin' Winchester! "I'll do it. When do I leave?"

"Tonight," was John's short answer as he shoved his notes and journal towards his son. "I told Randall to meet up with you in Cuero at ten in the morning, which gives you enough time to haul your ass outta here."

"Wow, okay." Dean had to take a second to collect himself. This was _the _opportunity to prove himself to his father, but it came with a huge amount of responsibility. But he also realized that now was the moment, it was his chance to finally make his father proud and show him what he was capable of. A part of Dean wished Sam would've been here, just so he could share this moment, but his brother wouldn't understand. Sam made it clear that he wanted to have nothing to do with the family business, the lifestyle wasn't meant for him … and apparently his family didn't either or he wouldn't have abandoned them like this.

**SPN**

While Dean got his stuff together, John took it upon himself to give Emmy a bath. It was something his wife always used to do, and he never understood what Mary liked about getting wet, struggling with keeping their children _in_ bath instead of letting them running away yelling _I'm nekkid!_, and then there was the struggle of getting them back into their clothes, it was too much of a hassle for John.

But now he had no other choice, and he could honestly say that he didn't mind at all. Now he understood what his wife loved about these moments – they were intimate, his daughter seemed to always chatter his ears off whenever he gave her a bath, he loved the sounds of her giggling and singing, the scent of her vanilla shampoo reminded him so much of Mary, it was so nostalgic and euphoric. The daily ritual was such a normal thing to do, it made him forget everything about the life that had hardened him.

"You're quiet," John pointed out as he watched Emmy play with one of her toys. She lazily pushed the duck back and forth with no joy or glee. She normally was a bundle of energy whenever she was in bath, John always had to calm her down before she'd cause a storm in the tub. The fact that he had no drop of water on his t-shirt or a smudge of soap on his face, was a sign that something was up.

Emmy shrugged her little shoulders as she numbly poked the bubbles surrounding her.

John filled a cup with water, pouring it gently down her hair. "Is my baby girl tired from going to school this week?"

The toddler merely nodded, not putting an effort into actually replying.

"You're not getting sick, are you?" John checked her forehead, not feeling anything that should worry him. He got on his knees, leaning over the tub to cup her chin. "What's wrong, sweetie?" When she simply shrugged again, he sighed. "Daddy can't know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours if you won't tell me anything."

"I don't know." She scrunched up her freckled button nose, and it took everything in him not to pepper that adorable face with kisses because she was _that _cute.

"You don't know? Is it something that happened at school? Is this Rover kid bothering you again?"

"His name is Bentley, daddy, not Rover," she told him with that _you're so stupid sometimes-_attitude.

John snorted. "Doesn't matter, who even calls their child after a car?"

"And he's too scared to sit wif me at lunch now cuz Dean freatend him and said that if he stole my food again, he'll shove a funnel down his froat and cram everything down it."

"Damn right, he will," John chuckled, getting back to his feet. "Let's get you dressed huh." He grabbed a towel and lifted her out of the tub. After getting her dressed, her hair brushed and temperature checked (because you could never be too sure), John took her to the kitchen just as Dean got back.

"Got everything?" John asked, putting Emmy down on the counter.

"Yeah, I just finished stocking up on everything in the trunk." Dean put down the bags of food he picked up on his way when he noticed the missing dimpled smile that his little sister usually wore. "Hey, why do you look like someone stole all your candy? Wait, is it that Bentley boy again, kid or not, I swear I will shove a funnel down –"

"He didn't do anything, Dean," she cut him off, fiddling with her necklace.

"Then what is it?" When he got no answer, he turned to his father who pulled up his own shoulders.

"She's a girl, aren't they supposed to be like this? You know, moody, confused, all these emotions they can't put into words?"

Dean gave his father a look that said _really?_ "Dad, she's five, not fifteen."

"Then what do you want me to do?" It was rare that John would not know what to do, he was too proud to ask help for anything … except when it came to his own children. He couldn't remember ever having problems with Dean when he was little, Sam and Emmy were different though. He thought because Sam was always a mommy's child, no one understood the boy better than Mary. And Emmy … well, Emmy was a _girl_, that only was an obstacle for John, and this time he didn't have his wife to rely on.

"I don't know, talk to her or something," Dean offered.

"You talk to her."

"Why me?" Dean wanted to know.

"You're her brother," John reasoned.

"You're her father." Dean had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "Look I don't have time for this, Randall called, and I better get going now if I want to be there on time."

"Where you going?" Emmy asked softly.

Dean turned to her, tugging gently at one of her wet pigtails. "There's just some stuff I need to do, but hey I won't be gone too long, sweetheart." Dean took one of her hands, pulling down two fingers so three little fingers rested. "I'll be back by Monday, that means you'll have to sleep three nights."

She looked down at her three fingers with a pout. "That's a lot of sleeping."

"No it's not," Dean lifted her in his arms, jostling her a little. "How about I bring you something when I get back," he whispered in her ear.

She gasped dramatically, causing Dean to laugh. "What is it? What is it? What is it?" she repeated impatiently.

"Hey, it's supposed to be a surprise!" Dean nibbled at her chubby cheeks and neck, eliciting a fit of giggles. "Okay, I gotta go now. Be good, alright."

She nodded with a mischievous smile. "I'm always good."

"Sure you are," Dean nuzzled her nose. "I'll call you, okay? Now gimme some sugar." He puckered his lips, receiving a chaste peck on the lips. "Don't be too hard on Dad," he whispered as he put her back on the counter, giving her another kiss before exchanging one last look with his father.

"Call me when you get there!" John called after his son, waiting for the usual _yes sir_ reply.

**SPN**

Diner was quiet. John wasn't used to having to start a conversation with his daughter. Usually it was her that talked nonstop, leaving him to listen and occasionally nod or make a sound to ensure her that he was still listening. But now, she didn't say a single word and it started to worry him. He had no idea how to deal with a five year old that wouldn't tell him what was going on. He tried to think of how Mary would've dealt with this, but felt ashamed when he couldn't remember.

There had to be something he could do as a father to make her talk, but what? He was never good at chick flick moments, like Dean put it, not with people in general, let alone with five year old girls. John was more of a physical kind of person, he'd pat Dean's shoulder to tell him he was proud, or ruffle Sam's hair to show his love, or pull Emmy on his lap to make her feel safe. John always struggled with saying the right words, he just found it much easier to simply show what he wanted to say.

"Daddy, where is my Mommy?"

Momentarily taken aback by the unexpected question, John got rid of the thoughts in his head, trying to focus on the matter at hand. Just two seconds ago he didn't know how to get her to talk, and now he didn't know how to answer her. That girl made his confidence and self-assurance shake so easily, it would put every man to shame.

"Uh," John cleared his throat, grabbing his beer and taking a long draw, trying to stall the moment so he could think about the right answer. When he met his daughter's big blue eyes filled with wonder, reminding him so much of his wife, he had to take a second to simply breathe in and out. "I already told you baby girl, she's in heaven."

"But where's heaven?"

"Far up in the sky where she can watch over us," he replied, playing with the label on his bottle, a show of discomfort. It had been almost five years now but it never got easier to talk about, the wound was still too fresh. John just continued living by ignoring the pain, it was his way of dealing with countless of other things – just pretending it wasn't there.

Emmy bunched her eyebrows together in exasperation. "But I looked evewywhere, I can't see her. I tried to jump really high on the trampoline so I could get closer to heaven but I still couldn't see her cuz all the clouds stood in the way."

"That's because she's with God, and you remember what Pastor Jim told you, you don't need to see to believe, you simply need to feel to know. Your mother is up there and even though you can't see her, you just need to believe she's with you every second of the day."

John could see his daughter wrinkling her nose, something she did when she was deep in thought. She was trying to process his words and he wondered if he wasn't making things more difficult for her.

"But why can't she come down? Just for one day so I can show the kids at school that I do have a Mommy."

John always loved her innocence, it was so pure, so perfect. Everything he did was to preserve that innocence, and sometimes that meant he had to lie. But now he wasn't sure what to do, should he lie or tell the truth? He had to keep in mind that she was only five, she was at that age where she needed a clear answer, something her young mind could understand. Heaven was a concept too hard for her to grasp. She wanted an explanation she could see with her own eyes, something that would offer her clarity.

"C'mere, sweetie." John opened his arms, letting her crawl in his lap. He held her tightly, looking down at her pretty face. Sometimes he'd stare at her and wonder how someone like him could've made something so beautiful like her, and then he'd remember where she got all those gorgeous features from. "Is this what's gotten you all so quiet? Are those kids bothering you at school?"

She dropped her gaze to his stubbled chin where she let her nails gently scratch at the ticklish hairs. It was another trait she got from her mother, they couldn't hold still. John couldn't remember ever talking to Mary without her touching him somehow. It was always something subtle, like adjusting the collar of his shirt, softly bumping her foot against his leg under the table, holding his hand when he drove the car, running her fingers through his hair when they watched TV, or nuzzling his warm neck when they slept. Emmy was exactly the same, like her mother she always seemed to subconsciously seek physical contact.

"They wanna know where my Mommy is and I told them what you said to me, that she was in heaven. But then Carrie asked me where heaven is, but I don't know where it is. I said it was somewhere in the sky so at recess we climbed a tree to watch the sky but we couldn't find her anywhere. I even yelled Mommy but she didn't answer me."

John leaned in to kiss her pout away. "Oh, baby. I wish it were that simple."

"I made something for her in class," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder, rubbing her temple against his chin.

"You did? Wanna show it to Daddy?" he muttered with his lips against her soft hair.

Emmy got off his lap to retrieve something from her backpack. She came back with a necklace made of dried pasta covered in paint and glitter. She handed the accessory to her father who took it gingerly. John felt a pang in his heart when he caught the little note attached to it saying _Happy Mother's Day._ He remembered those times when Sam and Dean came back from school with their gifts and the breakfasts in bed. It hurt that his daughter never got the chance to pamper her mother like that.

"It's really beautiful, Emmy. You made this all by yourself?"

"Yes!" she clapped her hands proudly. "Except for the string, Miss Carter helped me with that," she said as she leaned against her father's knees.

John switched his attention between the necklace and his daughter. He needed to do something, something he only did once. It would be the only way for Emmy to get some closure. And even though he hated visiting that place, he just felt that inner obligation as a father pushing him to just get over himself and shove his own issues aside for the sake of his daughter.

He leaned over, cupping her small chin in his hand. "How about we give this to her?"

Emmy's eyes widened. "You mean … to _Mom_?"

John smiled. "What do you think?"

**SPN**

_Mary Winchester. 1954 – 1995. In Loving Memory._

John stared at the headstone, reading the engraved letters over and over again. It angered him to no end how some simple piece of granite represented this wonderful woman that meant everything to him. She was so much more than that, she deserved a damn monument so everyone would know who she was. But maybe he was the one to blame, he shouldn't have left her body to some uncle of hers to take care of. John didn't care what happened to her remains because she was gone anyway. The only thing left of her was her memory. Every little moment he shared with her, John kept safe in his heart.

As he looked down at the grave, he couldn't imagine her lying beneath the ground. If he had his way he would've burned her to ashes, it was the only way for her to actually rest in peace. And she deserved that peace. But there was only one thing keeping him from digging up her coffing and salt her bones – his kids. John was never a religious kind of person, and neither was Mary but his children needed something to hold on to. He found peace with her being gone and never coming back, but his sons and daughter didn't. They held on to the thought that she was still there, somewhere in heaven, unable to see her, touch her, smell her, hear her. But she was still _there_, watching them. So John went along with the whole biblical explanation as long as it helped his children cope with the loss.

Once Emmy finished burying her necklace, she kneeled in front of the headstone, holding her hands together under her chin, her eyes closed and lips moving in a silent prayer. John momentarily forgot why he was even going through all of this, until he saw a content smile touch her lips. That's right, he was doing it for her … and _her._

He looked up at the sky, trying hard to imagine she was indeed looking down at them. He wondered what Mary would think of him, of how he raised their children, would she be proud? Probably not. Mary always made it clear that she never wanted her kids to be raised like hunters … and John had failed her. But he swore to himself that once he got his revenge, he'd stop and be a family again. But what he didn't know, and never will, is that he'd never get the chance to set things right, it was already too late, they were too far gone.

Emmy tugged at her father's hand. John looked down at his little angel and wordlessly lifted her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. He pressed his nose against her cheek, his forehead against her temple and closed his eyes. Minutes passed and John realized, as he held his daughter, that if there was a God it must've had mercy on his soul. John didn't think he would've survived living without the love of his life if it weren't for the precious gift he held in his arms. His daughter wasn't a replacement, she was so much more than that. She was the glue that held the pieces of his heart together, the remedy that relieved the pain, the warmth that melted the stone cold wrath consuming him. His baby girl had no idea how she saved a little part of him every day.

John pressed his lips against her soft, rosy cheek. "Love you," he mumbled quietly. He looked down at the headstone and blinked away some tears.

_I will always love you, too._

**_A/N: Hi, beautiful people! I'm so happy I finally got to update this story. I'm sorry for neglecting it for too long. I hope you liked this chapter, don't forget to leave a review! Also if you have a request for the next chapter, let me know and I will definitely consider it :)_**

**_PS: Let me know if you spot grammar mistakes ;)_**


	6. Did she just walk?

**Disclaimer: Supernatural doesn't belong to me. I only own my OC Mary-Elisabeth "Emmy" Winchester.**

Sam: 13

Dean: 17

Emmy: 11 months

Sam's hazel eyes were wide and flickered with the lights reflected from the television screen. The boy's gaze was full of wonder and strong interest as he watched a documentary about the galaxy, a look at the work and worlds of leading scientists and astronomers who were helping to unlock the mysteries of the universe. It was beyond fascinating to Sam but extremely boring to a certain little girl.

Sam winced when a dimpled fist had grabbed a mass of his hair. He gently released his hair, never taking his eyes off the screen which didn't bode well with Emmy, so she pulled again. "Ouch, Emmy!"

The chubby girl grinned, showing off her six small teeth, two on the bottom and four on top. With those big baby blues, cute little button nose, dimpled rosy cheeks and blonde wispy hair – his baby sister was probably the most adorable little thing anyone has ever laid eyes upon. One look at her face and you would cave … except for Sam. He grew accustomed to her little tricks. She was too damn smart for her age. Emmy had the male Winchesters wrapped tightly around her small fingers and she knew it all too well.

"Emmy, not now," Sam told her as she fisted his t-shirt to crawl all over him. "Here have this."

Emmy made a questioning sound as she stared at the piece of apple between her pudgy fingers. She lifted the fruit to her mouth, took a messy bite of it before deciding she didn't want it. She carelessly threw the apple aside and used her brother's hair to pull herself up again.

Sam hissed in pain. "I need a haircut," he mumbled under his breath.

His sister squealed when he briefly lifted her up in the air before putting her on the carpet. Sam proceeded to hand her some toys she could play with so he could continue watching his documentary. The diversion didn't last long when he felt someone pulling at his pants. Sam sighed and looked down to meet his sister's curious eyes. She lifted her hands up, demanding him to pick her up.

Sam sighed and reached for her to pull her on his lap. "Promise you'll be good and let me watch the show?" he asked as he secured her firmly in his arms. Emmy clapped her hands together, blowing a raspberry. "I'll take that as a yes."

Not more than two minutes later, Emmy started wriggling in his hold. Sam tried to adjust her but soon realized that it was a lost cause. She turned around and crawled up on his chest until they were face to face. She giggled when Sam rolled his eyes. When her brother craned his neck to watch the television, she poked his eye with her little finger.

"Fine, I'll roll my eyes one more time and then you'll let me watch, okay?" Sam dramatically rolled his eyes, eliciting a bubbly laugh from his sister. He couldn't help but crack a smile, too, the sound was too contagious. Emmy poked his eye again and burst into a fit of giggles when he rolled his eyes again. "Alright, remember our deal, Emmy? Now let me get back to the show."

Sam knew she probably didn't understand a word he just said, but he had hoped she would stop poking his eyes and she did. Only now she found somewhere else to put her finger in – his mouth. For some reason she loved when her brothers pretended to nibble on her fingers. So Sam thought he'd amuse her and pretended to bite her fingers. Emmy shrieked, laughing her little heart out.

Sam grabbed her chubby face between his hand, squishing her cheeks together as he asked, "Think that's enough for now? Can Sammy go back to his show without you interrupting again?" Emmy shrugged out of his hold and Sam swore for a second that she would actually leave him alone until those big eyes trailed upwards to his bangs. Before she could even think of grabbing his hair, Sam had trapped her hands in his own. "No, Emmy. Noooo," he stretched the word while shaking his head to make sure the message was clear but he only ended up making her laugh again.

"Noow," she imitated as she wildly shook her head.

"Exactly, good girl," Sam praised, leaning over to plant a big kiss on her soft cheek. "Does that mean you'll be good for Sammy?"

"Nooow," she repeated with a giggle. Apparently shaking your own head was hilarious.

"Figures," Sam chuckled.

The siblings both looked up when they heard the familiar sound of the Impala pulling up at the motel. Emmy suddenly didn't feel like disturbing her brother anymore and demanded to be put down. Sam lowered her on the floor, pushing some toys aside so she could crawl towards the front door.

Just as she arrived, the door clicked open, revealing the second oldest Winchester. At the age of seventeen, Dean was all toned muscles, badass attitude and a trademark smile that made girls swoon. In some ways, Sam looked up to his brother, he was the example of the perfect son, a soldier trained by his father. Not that John didn't love his youngest son, Sam just thought that if he was more like Dean, his dad would be more proud of him.

"How's my favorite girl!"

Emmy screamed in laughter when she got thrown in the air, receiving a kiss every time she landed back in her big brother's arms. Dean nuzzled her soft neck and hair, basking in the sweet, baby scent. God, he had to miss her for six whole days which seemed like eternity to him. He playfully nibbled on those round cheeks, loving the way that always seemed to elicit a fit of giggles out of her.

"You happy to see me?" he grinned. Emmy grabbed his face, moving in closer to give him a slobbery kiss. "Aw, of course you did," he crooned as he kissed her back, pecking her all over that chubby face.

"Don't eat her face," Sam commented with a smirk.

"Sammy!" Dean was so caught up in the moment, he didn't even notice his little brother standing by the couch. "C'mere little man!"

Sam groaned when he got grabbed in a headlock. "Oh, come on! Dean stop!"

"Try me," he snickered. "Go grab his hair, cutie pie."

"No! No, no – ow, ow, ow!" Sam winced when his baby sister pulled at his hair. "Dean, let me go or I swear I will hit you in the nuts."

Dean barely sidestepped his brother's kick to his groin. "Hey careful of the package, I'm carrying something fragile."

"Whuss," Sam snorted.

"Bitch," Dean shot back with a matching smirk. "So, what's up?" he asked as he hiked Emmy higher up on his hip.

"Dada," Emmy babbled.

"Talking about Dad, where is he?" Dean asked.

"You just missed him, he left," Sam told him as he plopped back onto the couch.

"Left? Since when?" Dean wanted to know, his voice hinted with concern.

"This morning," Sam replied as he got back to watching his show. "Something about a wraith. He told me to send him a message when you're here."

"Wait, he left you guys alone for more than ten hours?" he voiced his disagreement while Emmy pulled at his necklace, putting the amulet in her mouth.

"Dude, I'm thirteen. I can perfectly take care of myself and Emmy." Sam rolled his eyes, causing Emmy to giggle again.

"Did he say when he'll be back?" Dean asked next as he shouldered his duffel bag.

Sam snorted. "With Dad you never know. Could be tomorrow or next month."

Dean sighed. In other words, he'll be the one taking responsibility for his siblings for the next several weeks. It wasn't like Dean wasn't used to this kind of accountability, it had almost been a year since his mother died, and in those months John was more absent than present. Dean grew accustomed to taking care of his little sister and brother. He won't lie, the first couple months were the worst. He had to grow up in such a short amount of time while trying to meet his father's expectations. He had to flip a switch and leave the old Dean behind so he could live up to the new life style and the hardships that came with it. He went through a hard time but like the tough teen he was, he always held his head high even if his shoulders threatened to buckle under the heavy weight of the burdens he suddenly had to carry. But the Winchester blood rushing through his veins made him willing to sacrifice his old worriless life and go through hell if it meant it would keep his family safe and sound.

"Alright, well I'm gonna take a quick shower and then we can go grab something to eat cause I am starving," Dean announced before addressing his little sister who was still perched on the crook of his arm. "Meanwhile, you keep yourself busy with Sam's hair while I get ready."

Putting Emmy back on her feet, Dean held both her hands as he led her to Sam. Their baby sister took unsteady steps as she put one little foot in front of the other. Emmy grinned as her chubby legs moved to walk with her brother's assistance.

"C'mere, Emmy," Sam beckoned her over, his arms outstretched and hands wiggling.

The little girl blubbered an answer as she excitedly hurried up to reach Sam. She nearly tumbled over her own feet but Dean suddenly lifted her up. He made flying sounds as he moved her through the air causing her to shriek with laughter. Dean made a whole show of pretending to let her fall before holding her high up in the air.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have commenced our final descent into Winchester," Dean announced with an overly formal voice. "After landing please remain seated with seat-belts fastened until the aircraft has come to a halt at the gate and the captain has switched off the seat-belt signs."

Emmy squealed when she ended up on Sam's shoulders. Her first reaction was of course to bury her dimpled hands into Sam's hair.

The middle child groaned. "Oh god, not again."

"Have fun, Sammy," Dean winked as he disappeared in the bathroom.

**SPN**

It was a nice sunny day in Victoria, Texas – the weather was calm and dry which was pleasant. The Winchesters had just grabbed some grub and decided to make use of their free day. Those days were becoming more rare since John had them on a tight schedule. There was barely time to relax in between all those trainings, research and school. So the boys would eagerly take every chance they got to put those tasks and duties aside.

Dean was lying on his back under a tree, his arms crossed under his head and his face covered by the shadow as he closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the wind brushing his hair, the grass tickling his exposed skin and Emmy's bubbly laughter. Memories of all those times they would picnic together as a family came to his mind. It seemed like only yesterday when his mother would bake an apple pie and some fresh-squeezed lemonade. He remembered how she always had to swat his impatient hands away, saying that he had to wait until they were settled. Dean's lips twitched at the memory.

Meanwhile Emmy was enthralled by a ladybug crawling on Sam's hand. She kept a safe distance between herself and the insect but Sam still spotted the confidence in her eyes. He carefully pushed his hand closer, letting her take a closer look.

"You wanna hold it, Emmy?"

The little girl scrunched up her little freckled button nose, her blue eyes wide and uncertain. Despite the hesitation, she still lifted up her small hand. Sam smiled and let the ladybug crawl over to her hand. Emmy kept her own appendage far away from her small body but she didn't give any sign of wanting to get rid of the bug. Her curious eyes followed the black dotted insect as it walked from her palm to the tip of her fingers and back. It was kinda itchy and a little giggle escaped between her lips.

Sam chuckled. "It tickles, huh."

After gathering some courage, Emmy brought her hand closer to her face. With her other hand she poked the lady bug, laughing when it crawled to her other hand. The lady bug continued its way up to her bare arm until it reached her shoulder.

"You wanna give it a little kiss?" Sam said. He made a kissing sound, showing her what he meant. "Like that?"

Emmy smiled, her eyes twinkling. She pursed her lips, barely touching the ladybug before it spread it wings, flying away. Her eyes widened as she followed the insect disappearing into the blue sky.

"Bah-bah," she waved her hand.

"Bye-bye, ladybug," Sam joined her and waved his own hand.

Emmy's attention never stayed on one thing for too long, before she knew it, something else caught her eye. She spotted a daisy and plucked it.

"Don't put it in your mouth," Sam pointed out, sensing what her first thought was.

Emmy listened for once and crawled through the grass, collecting as many flowers as she could.

"So what was the case about?" Sam asked, turning towards his brother.

"A vengeful spirit, it was just a simple salt and burn," Dean said, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother.

Sam cocked a questioning eyebrow. "It took you nearly a week to burn someone's bones?"

"For your information, research was a bitch. I forgot my fake ID's and being a seventeen year old you barely have any rights to look into confidential files." Dean smirked when a nameless face popped up in his mind. "Also some girl didn't believe I was a hunter, said she wanted to see my gun."

Sam shook his head, trying to get rid of the image of his brother hooking up with some girl. "TMI, dude."

Dean reached out to ruffle his brother's hair. "Oh, is wittle Sammy blushing?"

"Ugh, get off of me," Sam slapped his hands away. The thirteen year old wasn't a prude per se, he had caught some girls giving him that look he couldn't decipher, a look he was used from other girls but mostly it was directed to Dean, so he didn't understand why he would suddenly receive those looks. Unbeknownst to Sam, he was growing into a handsome looking young man. His face wasn't as round and chubby as it used to be, his facial features were getting sharper and more defined. The training also granted him with an athletic body which masked his lanky posture. It seemed like he wasn't the only one with the good Winchester genes, only he had yet to notice. Luckily for him, the girls already have.

"So what have you been up to, huh? Dad didn't train you too hard, did he?"

"Define hard." Sam ran a messy hand through his bangs, trying to straighten them out. "We worked on my knife skills."

"Yeah? How did it go?"

Sam shrugged. "Fine I guess. Dad didn't really say much, but then again he didn't make me run extra laps, so I guess it went okay."

Dean playfully bumped his fist against his jaw. "I'm sure you did great, you're Sam frikkin' Winchester."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah right, well Sam frikkin' Winchester cut himself instead of his opponent."

"It's nothing bad is it?" Dean asked, his big brother instinct surfacing. The thought of his little brother getting hurt always got him on high alert.

Sam lifted up his shirt to show the cut going from his navel to his side. "It didn't need any stitches but I'm sure it's gonna scar."

"Oh, Sammy, chicks dig scars, believe me," Dean sniggered, receiving a bitch face.

"Really, Dean. That all you think about?"

"Oh you don't wanna know." Dean successfully blocked a punch he got from his brother, laughing when he used this to his advantage by throwing his own punch to Sam's stomach. The two brothers continued to wrestle, each one of them proving their strength by trying to get the upper hand.

Dean suddenly released his brother when he noticed something. "Wait, where the hell is Emmy?"

Sam dropped his fighting stance, his breathing labored as he looked around. "Oh crap. She was just here like five seconds ago!"

"No, no, no, no," Dean muttered under his breath, his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. "Emmy? Emmy! Come on, sweetheart, where are you?"

"Dean," Sam said.

"Emmy! EMMY!" Dean continued yelling, his hands cupped around his mouth as he frantically looked around.

"Dean," Sam repeated.

"We can't stay here, we need to move and look for her. See if someone might have seen – "

"DEAN!" Sam raised his voice, finally catching his brother's attention. "Look."

Dean followed his brother's pointing finger, his eyes landing on a little girl dressed in a yellow short dress. She was crouched as she plucked another flower to join the collection in her pudgy hands. But that's not what blew the brothers' minds. She suddenly stood up on her wobbly legs and took several steps to pick another flower.

"Dude," Dean breathed, still shocked. "Did she just walk?"

Sam laughed, a sound from relief and surprise. "I guess she did."

Dean opened his mouth before closing it again. He had a hard time believing his eyes. Emmy stood back up, she staggered unsteadily before falling onto her bottom. But that didn't stop her from getting back up and taking several steps again.

"I wish Dad was here to see this," Sam said quietly.

Dean swallowed hard. "Yeah, me too."

Emmy had made her way back to her brothers as she tightly held onto the daisies. She fell several times on her hands and knees, losing some flowers in the process, but she always got back up like a real Winchester. By the time she reached Sam and Dean, the boys were both on their knees waiting for her with outstretched arms.

"Come on, cutie pie, one more little step," Dean coaxed with a proud grin.

Emmy showed off her pearly whites and dimples as she smiled back. When she got close enough, Dean grabbed her, twirling her around. The little one laughed, squealing when he blew raspberries on those chubby cheeks.

Sam reached out to smooth down her hair with pride flashing in his eyes. "Who's a big girl now?"

"Whatcha talking about Sammy? She'll always be my baby girl, am I right, sweetheart?" Dean leaned over to nuzzle her freckled nose.

The sudden realization that his little sister was growing up hit him harder than he let on. Don't get him wrong, there were days where he couldn't even believe his own brother almost reached his shoulders and it seemed like all Sam did lately was keep on growing. But Emmy was different. Dean was there from the very beginning and it was still all so fresh in his mind. The first time he gave her a bottle, the first time he had to put her to sleep, the first time she smiled back at him, the first time she crawled, and today she took her first steps. It was all going way too fast for his liking.

Emmy babbled some incoherent words as she pushed her hands forward, showing the flowers. Some of them were crushed, most of them were missing several petals, and only a few were still intact. But the brothers didn't give a rat's ass about the state the daisies were in, the gesture alone was heartwarming.

"Aw, are these for us?" Sam accepted the flowers, putting one in her hair to match the flowery hairclip. Emmy clapped her hands together, satisfied with the addition in her hair.

"Mom always used to tuck a flower in her hair," Dean mentioned softly, never taking his eyes off his baby sister who resembled Mary in so many ways it was hard to keep the emotions in check sometimes.

Sam's eyes glistened in the sun from the tears welling up. He didn't trust his voice for a minute before he cleared his throat. "She would've probably done the same."

"Mhmm," Dean merely nodded.

Emmy oblivious to the memory her brothers were sharing, wriggled her legs, wanting to get back on her feet.

"Oh, okay. Our little big girl wants to walk now." Dean put her down, letting her grab two of his fingers while Sam held her other hand.

Emmy obviously overestimated her walking ability, her steps were too quick and big. She lost her balance several times and would've tripped over her little, impatient feet if it weren't for her brothers catching her every time.

"Whoa," Sam chuckled. "Let's start with baby steps, Emmy."

**_A/N: Hi beautiful people! It's been a while since I've updated this story and I didn't realize how long it's been until I received some pm's of readers wanting another new chapter. So I apologize for the delay. This was a short, sweet and fluffy chapter. I'm thinking of writing about Sam's departure to Stanford for the next chapter. Obviously that one won't be that sweet and fluffy. So let me know what you think or if you prefer something else. You know I'm always open for requests and suggestions ;)_**

**_Lots of love, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

**_Ps: check out my tumblr for some pics of baby Emmy. Also if you're unfamiliar with my other story Be(lie)ve and Trage(die)s, make sure to check them out, too!_**


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